


Charms and Charming People

by mismatched_ideas



Series: You're a Song [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Down Character(s), Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Magic, Established Relationship, Family Angst, Found Family, Getting Together, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues, ace Akaashi, half 'present day', half flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-09 09:18:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 61,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15264300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mismatched_ideas/pseuds/mismatched_ideas
Summary: Before he met Bokuto, Akaashi’s life had been set in stone.Before he met Bokuto, his life made sense.Before he met Bokuto, his life was about using his weak magic to make something of himself.Before he met Bokuto, he thought everything could and should be planned.But after Bokuto...---Akaashi and Bokuto hadn't always had things easy. They hadn't always been easy. But they'd worked it out. Now, right as they both were finally comfortably settled, the universe threw a new challenge at the Akaashi-Bokuto household in the shape of a tiny, orange-haired baby boy with a magic too big for his body.





	1. Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% comfortable writing Haikyuu characters so there might be some OOC moments. Or this whole thing might feel OOC. But too bad, I had to write it....
> 
> Also dear lord, forgive me for my use of honorifics. I tried to be as accurate as I could but even living in Japan I still am unsure about how people use some honorifics (looking at you -kun). But I had to. For a single joke. Save me.
> 
> Also, I feel like I should clarify that while this isn't explicitly in Japan, it is basically Japan and they're basically always speaking Japanese. And, again, since this isn't explicitly in Japan, they're not in a real place but... well if I had to say approx. where they'd be, I'd say they're somewhere in the Kanagawa Prefecture. In my mind, the city they live in is a strange mixture of the real city I live in and the fake city from the show Acchi-Kocchi.

A lot of people thought that he snored when he slept. It made sense, he was a big person and loud in everyday life, but at night he was damn near silent. 

Akaashi Keiji—officially his name was Akaashi-Bokuto but their friends agreed it was too confusing to have two friends with the same last name and in a paradoxical turn of events, they had all known each other too long to start using first names—liked to stay awake and watch his husband sleep. Well, usually it was less of a choice and more of an insistence from his insomniac brain but the point still stood that he enjoyed watching Bokuto Koutarou sleep. 

Before he met Bokuto, Akaashi’s life had been set in stone. His future had been decided and planned. His path had been carefully constructed by the people in his world. But then a strange young man had barrelled into his life and Akaashi found himself doing something he’d never done before—rebel. He’d learned to be spontaneous. He’d learned to accept the fact that not everything could be planned for and that, maybe, not everything should be planned. 

Akaashi and Bokuto weren’t always good for each other. Akaashi didn’t feel prepared to be there for Bokuto when the symptoms of his ADHD got bad, especially before he’d been diagnosed. Bokuto wasn’t really prepared to help Akaashi with the low self-esteem that was tied to the anxiety he was very good at hiding. When Akaashi and Bokuto both couldn’t sleep, instead of trying to sleep they’d usually both go to the kitchen or living room and just talk until morning. 

But Akaashi could sometimes help Bokuto to stabilize his emotions—not always, since he could only do that when he was completely calm and no matter how calm he looked, his mind was rarely calm—and Bokuto had showed Akaashi there was more to life than a future that had been planned for him. Akaashi was still had generalized anxiety and Bokuto still had ADHD, but things were okay. Bokuto took medicine that Akaashi helped remind him to take. Akaashi was constantly reminded by the ultimately honest Bokuto that he was worth a lot more than Akaashi’s mind—or his parents—believed he was. 

Akaashi was aware that he should really be trying to sleep right now, but instead he was watching Bokuto sleep. It was nearly three in the morning and he really shouldn’t be awake but tonight’s lack of sleep wasn’t because of insomnia, at least not the usual kind. Instead it was something in Akaashi’s mind that warned him not to sleep. It wasn’t a real premonition—he was no precognate—but it was still a bad feeling, one that ended up panning out pretty well when he felt a buzzing heat on his right thumb. 

Akaashi wore three rings. One was a simple wedding band and the only ring on his left hand. It was what he considered to be his most prized possession. On his right hand was the simple black band on his middle finger that he’d worn for years—pretty much since he’d learned what the term asexual was—and a thin band on his thumb with a simple gem in it. It was this last ring that was starting to burn a little, the gem turning from its normal white to an angry red color. Whatever message was coming in was an important one and he felt concern spike through him as he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. It was the best place for him to go where Bokuto wouldn’t walk in on him in case he woke up and went searching for Akaashi. 

“Keiji-kun, I was worried you wouldn’t answer.” 

Akaashi took a deep breath, looking at the face of the woman in front of him. It was being projected from the ring he’d set on the sink and, like always, it was unsettlingly ghostly. 

“Mother, I wasn’t expecting this call.”

“Yes, yes, of course not.” His mother nodded. “And I wouldn’t have called this early but it’s important.” 

“That’s alright.”

“They’ve called a meeting.”

“Okay,” Akaashi did his best not to roll his eyes. “I’m not the Akaashi representative so I don’t see–”

“It’s not a general meeting. It’s a full sect meeting.” Akaashi felt ice in his veins. He wasn’t sure a full sect meeting had been called in his lifetime. “So unless you plan on cutting ties, you’re expected to be at the meeting.”

If Akaashi was smart, he would just cut ties already and leave his family and his sect behind like Sugawara Koushi had years ago when things got dark. He’d figured it out in the end—the Crow Sect had worked itself out in the end, even if Akaashi still didn’t trust some of the higher-ups—and was happy enough. Akaashi should do the same and leave it all behind for good.

“I’ll be there,” He said despite his thoughts. “When it is?”

“Two days.”

“Two–!” Akaashi took a deep breath, pushing his emotions down and calming himself before he continued. “That means I have to leave soon.”

“They just announced it. They seem to want this meeting to take place as quickly as possible. You’re the farthest member and so they considered letting you sit out, but Keiji-kun…” She paused to shake her head. “I don’t know what’s going on but I think people are afraid.”

“You don’t know what’s happening?”

“Nobody seems to know but… well, do you remember Kaori-chan?” Akaashi nodded, thinking about the freckled girl with long hair and a soft smile that had only been a year younger than him. They had been neighbors and also best friends because of sharing abilities that most people around them considered ‘quaint.’ “Well, I was talking to her mother and she mentioned that Kaori-chan’s friend had a dream where she saw the birth of children with life and death perception.”

“Kaori-san’s friend… Was her name Shirofuku Yukie?” Akaashi asked, ice in his veins increasing when his mother nodded. He knew Shirofuku too—she had been a year older than him and despite being two years older than Kaori, she was a close friend of the other girl’s so Akaashi had heard plenty about her—and he knew her dreams could be trusted. He knew this could be as bad as the council obviously thought it was, whatever ‘it’ was. “Well… I guess I’ll see you soon.”

“Keiji-kun, while I have you here, I was wondering,” Akaashi wanted to groan. He wanted to stand up and leave his mother to talk to herself. He wanted to crush the ring and forget about that part of his life. “When will we get to meet your mysterious husband?”

“You know when,” Akaashi didn’t try to hide his glare. “And this isn’t up for discussion.” 

“We just want to meet him, Keiji-kun. Even if things are a little tense right now, this is a good time to bring him home–”

“No.” He didn’t trust any of them and he wasn’t bring Bokuto near them, especially not when he was so sensitive. “Goodbye, Mother.”

“Goodbye, Keiji-kun.” She sighed and then disappeared, leaving Akaashi feeling drained despite it being a short conversation. 

There was a knock at the bathroom door than surprised Akaashi enough for him to nearly shout out in surprise.

“Keiji? Are you okay?” Akaashi breathed, it was just Bokuto. “I woke up when you left bed but then you didn’t come back for a while.”

Akaashi stood and slipped his ring back on, opening the door after taking a moment to regain control over his face and emotions. 

“I didn’t want to bother you while you were sleeping.” Akaashi smiled just slightly at Bokuto, who’s hair was a mess like usual. His eyes were still sleepy but he was obviously worried. “My mother called.”

“Really?”

“Sorry, I have to leave soon for home.” Bokuto looked even more concerned. Akaashi hated lying to Bokuto, but there were some things that he had to lie about. All of those things were related to his family and his sect. “My father is sick and they don’t know if he’ll survive.”

“Let me come!” 

“No, Kou.” Akaashi shook his head. “I don’t want you going near them. They’re terrible people.” 

“But you have to be there, so let me help you.” Bokuto’s eyes were pleading and Akaashi was so near to caving but this was the one thing Bokuto’s puppy-dog eyes didn’t work for. It was one of the few things Akaashi was strict on. He had to be. “I don’t want you to do this alone.”

“I know,” Akaashi’s face softened and he leaned his forehead against Bokuto’s chest. “But we all have things we have to do alone.”

“I know,” Bokuto mirrored Akaashi as he rested his chin on top of Akaashi’s head. “But it’s not fair that you have to do it alone.”

“I’ll be gone for a bit. No longer than a week, though. Four days of travel, of course, but I don’t know how long I’ll be staying.”

“Stay as long as you need.” Bokuto kissed the top of Akaashi’s head, feeling powerless. 

For a long time Bokuto had noticed how powerless Akaashi seemed in relation to his parents and that hurt Bokuto a lot. What hurt more was that he was powerless too. He’d never even met them. It wasn’t like he was much better when it came to family, but he didn’t periodically go back to see them. The only family he really talked to was his sister and she’d been at their wedding along with the rest of his family because, despite their normally distant relationship, they’d all wanted to come to the wedding. Akaashi had invited two blood relatives to their wedding, a cousin and uncle, and that was it other than friends. They had both been very kind and seemed happy for Akaashi and yet there was even something about them that put Bokuto on edge. 

“Make sure you call when you can.”

“I will.”

“And don’t let them be mean.”

“I won’t.”

“Call me anytime.”

“Kou, I will.” Akaashi leaned away from his husband, smiling at him for a few moments before leaning up to give him a small kiss. “Now go back to bed, you need your rest.”

“So do you.”

“I’ll sleep on the train. I need to pack right now.” And he needed to make some charms to protect the house. He hated leaving on short notice because it didn’t give him time to charm the weak points. “But you have a big day tomorrow.”

“It’s not like I’m playing.”

“Tell everyone I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”

“They’ll all be devastated,” Bokuto said with a smile. “I swear, they wish you were their coach.”

Bokuto had played volleyball for most of his life and had joined the national team not long after Akaashi and he met.

The women’s national team at the time was much better but it came out that they were payed much less than the men’s team, which was inconsistent at best. People tolerated it for a long time, but finally, the women had had enough. Bokuto had just been named the captain of the national team when people started to talk about the pay gap, the women telling the public what they wanted.

The women's team wanted to be paid the same as the men. Higher-ups ups tried to pit the men and women against each other, trying to trick the men into believing the women just wanted them to make less. But that plan backfired because for as much as the people involved seemed to think the men’s players were idiots, they really weren’t and all their best players announced they would be leaving the team until the pay was evened out. While that was happening, Bokuto had gotten a job coaching a women’s college team and even after pay was evened, he decided he liked being a coach. Akaashi thought it was good for him so he’d been happy to see him stay in the position. It just seemed easier on Bokuto emotionally and he was just so good at raising moral, even if it took him a bit to get used to giving good advice.

“If I was their coach, they wouldn't be doing so well.” Akaashi’s family never cared much for sports and his only contact with volleyball before Bokuto was through Kaori. Bokuto had forced him to play some pickup games and liked to coo over how great Akaashi was, but he was pretty sure that was only because they’d just started dating and Bokuto wanted to be nice. Then again, Bokuto was endlessly truthful, especially with compliments so maybe he’d meant it. “Tell them that if they win this tournament, I’ll be able to go to the next one.” 

Bokuto laughed heartily, “That should be a good motivator.”

“You do that just fine.”

“But it’s nice to have help.” 

“Sorry I won’t be there.”

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.”

They stood in the hallway for a little longer, bathed in the light from the bathroom and nothing else. At night Bokuto was so quiet and still—at least most of the time—and Akaashi still couldn’t understand it. But even at night, his voice filled up Akaashi’s ears and his presence filled up Akaashi’s world and it made it all worth it. Quiet or loud, Akaashi loved this man and he would do anything to protect him, even if it meant he had to lie about his family. 

“Okay, really, go back to bed. I won’t leave without waking you.” Akaashi pushed Bokuto towards their bedroom, knowing he did need to pack but that he also needed time alone to made charms.

Akaashi smiled after Bokuto, waiting a few moments for the door close and the sound of bedsprings to tell him Bokuto was back in bed. Only then did he find the uncharmed items he’d been collecting for when their current charms ran out and he needed to replace them. 

First was a wind chime, cheap and painted with fish on it. It didn’t matter how expensive the item was, what mattered was how it resonated and Akaashi found this one resonated perfectly for a protection charm. 

“☖⧨⏅⋢” 

The sounds—the words—spilling from Akaashi’s lips weren’t ones that would sound like a language to someone like Bokuto. It would sound like gibberish to anyone unaware of the long lineage of magic in their country. But, to anyone who knew the basics of magic it would sound like a precise home protection charm. 

Next up was a feather, which would be easy to slip into Bokuto’s jacket or maybe his bag. On that, Akaashi would put a bodily protection charm.

“⧬⧨⏅⋢”

Last, was a stone that Akaashi had already carved a protection symbol into. It would protect the holder’s spirit, which was honestly the most important protection for Bokuto when Akaashi wasn’t around. Sensitives were like beacons to people looking for someone to use and one with no magical knowledge would be seen as easy pickings. 

“☲⧨⏅⋢”

Akaashi leaned back in his chair, feeling tired now that he needed to stay awake. He didn’t dare put on coffee, though, because the smell would surely pull Bokuto right back out of sleep. Instead, Akaashi let himself yawn and then he picked himself up, gathering his charms and making plans. 

Magic was simple but magic users were complex and that was why Akaashi didn’t want to return home. He didn’t know what threat could have gotten even the sect council frightened but he didn’t want any part of it. 

He just wanted to stay as much out of The Owl Sect’s problems as he could because he had enough of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to my first haikyuu fic. You can thank my finally watching the summer of evolution stage play for reminding me why I fucking love HQ. Also for reminding me how much I love Akaashi and Bokuaka. Seriously, the stage plays are too powerful. Within two months of watching summer of evolution, I may have bought an Akaashi and Bokuto nenderoid... 
> 
> This is primarily a story about Akaashi because he is literally my favorite character in the universe. Also, if you've read anything else I've written, then you know I love writing about a certain type of character archetype. And archetype that Akaashi fits pretty much perfectly. 
> 
> So, that's all to say, thank you for reading this self-indulgent BS! I hope it makes you smile a little bit!
> 
> \---
> 
> Note about the next chapter: this fic is structured so that the odd number chapters take place in the 'present day' while the even number chapters take place in the 'past.'


	2. We Were Anything But Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a stable job and for that, Akaashi was happy. It also involved making charms for strangers and that made Akaashi anxious. It was really a double-edged sword, but he was still happy for the two years of freedom it granted him. Two years of freedom from his family and his future and his responsibilities.

It was a stable job and for that, Akaashi was happy. It was far away from his family and for that, Akaashi was happy. It was a quiet job and for that, Akaashi was happy. 

It also involved making charms for strangers and that made Akaashi anxious. It involved talking to both Magics and Modes and that made Akaashi anxious. It involved being charming and that made Akaashi anxious. 

It was really a double-edged sword, but he was still happy for the two years of freedom it granted him. Two years of freedom from his family and his future and his responsibilities. 

The small antique store slash charm store that Akaashi was in charge of sort of ran in his family, but it was owned by his uncle Hayakawa Hikaru who Akaashi was only related to by marriage. Hikaru had been running it alone while his daughter—Hayakawa Chinatsu—was at university. 

It wasn’t unheard of for Magics to go to university, but it was uncommon, especially for someone from a prestigious sect and family. But Hikaru and Chinatsu were two of the most laid-back people in all of the Owl Sect, which was why Akaashi liked them both. It was also why the rest of the Akaashi family didn’t like them much, especially Hikaru who was an outsider in their eyes. 

Akaashi Natsuki had married him and had a child before disappearing. The disappearance had been sudden and strange and the entire Akaashi family felt responsible for helping out Hikaru and Chinatsu despite Chinatsu only being half Akaashi and Hikaru being from outside the Owl Sect. It probably helped that Chinatsu had an impressive ability. 

Despite a laidback lifestyle, this was still a hard job and when Hikaru had a heart attack, it would have fallen to Chinatsu to take over the business until he was better. She still had around two years left in university and so, much to Akaashi’s surprise, Hikaru and Chinatsu asked if he’d take over the business until one of them could come back. Akaashi suspected they were aware of how crushingly oppressed he felt at home, even if he never said a word. He honestly thought he was pretty good at hiding it but Chinatsu, in particular, had always been great at reading him. 

So, they’d convinced his parents it was a good idea for him to work in the shop at most until Chinatsu graduated. Akaashi was sure his cousin was the reason he’d been allowed to leave, though he had no clue what she could have said to convince them. She could be very convincing. And there was the lingering guilt associated with the disappearance of Natsuki when Chinatsu was only four. 

And that was how a nineteen-year-old who’d never lived away from his parents ended up running an antique shop in a city that was a nearly two-day journey from his childhood home.

The door jingled for the first time that day and Akaashi looked up from the book he was reading. He’d read it three times already but he enjoyed it and so he kept reading it. He wouldn’t say it was his favorite book but he wasn’t sure he had a favorite anything. 

The person in the doorway was a young man who could easily be described as large. He was tall and also had broad shoulders. But more than that, his presence was also large. He had shining eyes that caught Akaashi’s attention despite the fact that he rarely paid attention to a stranger’s eyes. His hair was a strange combination of white and black that Akaashi had never seen before and he had to wonder if the stranger had done it on purpose. 

“Welcome.”

Before Akaashi could assess whether this young man was a Magic or not, he spoke loudly.

“I saw the owl outside.”

So he was a Magic. By the looks of him, Akaashi wouldn’t have been surprised if he turned out to be part of the Owl Sect. That said, he guessed it was more likely that he’d just hear rumors about how the Owl Sect had the best charmers in the region, if not the country. 

“What are you looking for?” Akaashi asked.

“Well, I was wondering if you had any owl stuff or if that was just a sign.”

“We have owl figures over here.” Akaashi hadn’t been expecting him to literally want a charmed owl. He stood and showed the young man to a display with some owl figures. “But you know, we have things with better resonance.”

“These are so cute!” He shouted, his voice seeming to raddle the entire building as he looked closely at the owls, ignoring Akaashi’s statement. “No horned owls, though.”

“You… like owls?”

“I love owls.” He turned his face to look at Akaashi, a big smile on his face. “I think I’ll buy this cute black one. How much?”

“Depends on the charm you want but the base price for the item is one thousand yen.” 

“Really!” He lit up at that but Akaashi swore he could see the young man doing calculations in his head. “That’s a great price.”

Personally, Akaashi thought it was a little too high for the small figure but he wasn’t going to complain. 

“Okay, what charm do you want on it?”

“Charm?” The young man seemed to finally register what Akaashi had said earlier. “What do you mean? I mean, it’d say the charm to this one is the look on it’s face.” He tilted his head, looking between Akaashi and the owl. “It sort of looks like you, actually.”

“Huh?” Akaashi didn’t know how to respond to anything that was happening right now but he was slowly realizing that this man wasn’t here for a charm and that he’d literally meant that he walked in because there was an owl on the sign. “Never mind, I thought you were someone else.”

“Oh?” He blinked, adding to the strange owlishness of his entire face. “Well, I’m Bokuto Koutarou.” 

Akaashi raised an eyebrow at him, wondering if that was really his name. 

“Akaashi Keiji.” He decided on instead of questioning the man. “Nice to meet you Bokuto-san.” 

“Nice to meet you too!” He paused for a second. “Why’s the shop’s name Hayakawa?”

“It’s my uncle’s store,” Akaashi told him, feeling a little numb as he began to unintentionally fidget with his fingers. 

“Wow, that’s cool.” Bokuto smiled at Akaashi, who just blinked confusedly in response. How was that cool? “Does he like owls?”

“I don’t know.”

After that, Bokuto went on talking and Akaashi listened, giving short answers when he was asked a question. Bokuto didn’t seem to mind the short answers and just continued talking. Mostly he was talking about owls. 

Akaashi couldn’t believe he’d so totally misread this man’s intentions. Thankfully, he seemed to not be bothered by Akaashi’s questions and had gone back to look at the owl, nodding as if he was agreeing with himself on the choice to buy it. 

The thing was, Akaashi could sense magic on him and that was one of the reasons he’d just assumed this man interested in the crest of the Owl Sect was a Magic. It was a weak and vague magic that clung to him but Akaashi just thought he was a weak Magic. Akaashi didn’t really have the ability to judge magic, but there was still something inherently magical about Bokuto. Instead he was not only a Mode but also seemed unaware of magic in general, seeing that he’d not understood Akaashi’s question about charms. 

There was always a chance that he spent so much time with a Magic that their residual magic clung to him but, in that case, they’d have to be a powerful Magic and what was a powerful Magic doing spending huge amounts of time with a Mode?

Not that it was his business. 

“Just this one?” Akaashi asked when Bokuto paused long enough in his talking for Akaashi to change the subject. 

“For now!” 

As Akaashi reached to pick up the figure, Bokuto screeched out in what sounded like anguish, scaring Akaash enough for him to jerk and nearly knock all the owl figures off the display.

“What?” Akaashi asked, looking at Bokuto like he’d lost his mind.

“I forgot my wallet!” He shouted, looking upset. “Kuroo-kun is going to be so mean to me when he finds out.”

“Huh?”

“I always forget my wallet.” Bokuto sighed, his smile gone and his face looking not quite right with the frown that replaced it. The glum look on his face was honestly heartbreaking and Akaashi found he had no idea what to make of this man. “I guess I’ll be back.” 

“Don’t worry,” Akaashi said suddenly. “I’ll put it on hold. It’ll be here when you come back.”

“Really?” Bokuto’s face lit up and he looked for a moment like he was going to hug Akaashi, though he didn’t. Akaashi was glad for that because he was pretty sure he’d be crushed. Also, he wasn’t exactly good at being hugged. “Thank you, Akaashi!” 

Akaashi found that having the honorific dropped on his name wasn’t as weird as it should have been. It sounded almost right from Bokuto’s lips. 

“It’s been sitting there for the last few years as far as I know,” Akaashi told him. “I don’t think anyone wants it.”

“That’s silly, it’s great. It’s perfect! If only there was a horned owl.” 

Akaashi couldn’t help but smile at that, wondering if a name could really make someone love an animal so much or if someone could love an animal so much that they’d change their name. 

“I’ll keep an eye out, Bokuto-san.” 

“You’re the best!” Bokuto gave Akaashi a big smile before turning abruptly to leave. “I’ll see you again!” 

“Okay,” Akaashi felt his heart skip a beat and he cursed himself because he could think of at least ten reasons he shouldn’t be friends with this young man. He could think of ten thousand reasons why he shouldn’t have a crush on him. “Have a nice day.”

Then Bokuto was gone and the store was quiet again and for the first time, Akaashi missed the noise.


	3. Containment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi wasn’t really sure what he’d done, but he had a feeling he’d fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to post 5 days a week instead (Monday-friday). Also, it will be at wildly different times also I'm talking about M-F in JST.

Akaashi waited outside the front door of his childhood home as his nails launched an offensive against his cuticles. Normally, he kept his nails short to stop this exact thing from happening but he hadn’t cut them in a while because Bokuto insisted that the two of them should go get their nails done with his volleyball team once the season was over. 

Akaashi didn’t understand why they wanted to do that but he’d agreed to it anyway, leading to him growing his nails out. He was the only one doing that he was sure—volleyball and long nails didn’t really mix—but Akaashi felt self-conscious about the idea of going to a nail salon with short, stubby nails. It’s not like he was a volleyball player. 

The door swung open and Akaashi forced his mind back to the task at hand: dealing with his parents. 

Keiji was the only child of Yuudai and Naoko—who had felt no need to have a second child because they were sure Keiji would be the perfect son. And he was until sometime around when he was twenty or twenty-one, depending which parent you asked. Naoko might even say it ended when he was nineteen and headed to the city. But once he turned out to be the worst son, they felt it was too late for another child so, instead, they spent a lot of their energy trying to get Keiji to ‘come to his senses.’

“Keiji-kun, so nice to see you.” His mother was smiling at him and he hated it. But, no, he had to calm down or else he might make a mistake. He didn’t have the luxury of making a mistake, not here. “Come in, come in.”

“Thank you, Mother.” Akaashi slipped his shoes off easily as he followed his mother to his old bedroom, still looking much the same as it did when he was younger. Over the years of him living out of the house, it had gained more and more boxes since it was mostly unused. He honestly liked it better with boxes because it felt like his parents were getting less confident that one day he’d come to his sense and return home. “When is the meeting?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Where are they having it?”

“Well, the first meeting is only for household heads so it’ll be in the meeting room. The next meeting is more of an announcement, I think.” His mother liked to act like she was uncertain but Akaashi was sure she’d gotten all this information from reputable sources, gossip or not. She was a shrewd information collector who could use a person without them ever realizing they’d been used. She was terrifying because she was a model citizen and yet also the most underhanded person Akaashi had ever met. “Since you don’t technically live with us, it was decided you should be at the first meeting.”

“Understood.” Akaashi left his bag on his old desk, turning back towards the front door. “I’m going to see if Suzumeda-san is home.”

“Oh, okay.” Naoko blinked, seeming surprised—even though it seemed obvious to him that he’d visit—and a little annoyed. “Tell her I said hello.”

“I will.” 

\---

“Keiji-kun,” Kaori’s mother smiled genuinely at Akaashi, putting him a little more at ease. He remembered how he’d spent more and more time at the Suzumeda house as he got older, especially during high school. They spent so much time together that Akaashi’s parents had thought the two were dating, which they’d both had a good laugh about when Keiji told Kaori. Growing up, she was the only person he’d felt comfortable around other than his uncle and cousin. They’d laughed and cried and shouted and they found solace in knowing that neither one liked the way their world had been set up for them. “Kaori is in the backyard.”

“Thank you Suzumeda-san.” Akaashi bowed to her, which made the woman laugh.

“You’re always so formal.” When she laughed, Akaashi didn’t feel like it was an attack. She had a full laugh that reminded him a bit of Bokuto. 

Akaashi missed him.

Not knowing how to respond to her, Akaashi simply nodded and hurried towards the backdoor, shoes in hand. When he opened the door he saw that Kaori was sitting on one of the old swings in her backyard, the same place the two of them had practically grown up.

“Suzumeda-san,” Akaashi said, surprising the tall young woman. She still had long, brown hair and when she turned Akaashi could tell despite the growing dusk that she still had freckles. He came home once every year but in the last few years she’d been out of town at the same time he’d been home so it had been almost four years since they’d seen each other, at his wedding. They emailed and sometimes talked on the phone, but it was nice to see she looked like she was doing well. “My mother says hello.”

“Keiji-senpai!” She smiled, looking so much like her mom when she did. After a moment she laughed. “Akaashi-san says hello? I’ve seen her more recently than I’ve seen you.”

“It’s been too long.” He let himself smile. “How are you?”

“I’m good, worried about this meeting though…” She frowned for a moment but then smiled again. “Come sit! How’s Bokuto-san? And how many times have I told you to stop calling me Suzumeda-san?”

“Do you want me to count?”

Kaori laughed, punching Akaashi in the shoulder as he sat down, nearly pushing him off of the swing. 

“You’re messing with me!” 

“Maybe,” Akaashi said with a smirk, rubbing his shoulder.

“Bokuto is a bad influence on you.”

“Maybe,” He repeated before answering her earlier question. “Kou is doing well. How’s Shirofuku-san?” 

“She’s been better,” Kaori admitted. “These dreams have really shaken her.” 

“My mother told me a little about them, something about life and death perception?”

Kaori hummed affirmatively. “There’s something else, though.”

“Something else?”

Kaori turned to look at Akaashi, her face serious and maybe a little concerned. It scared Akaashi. 

“She hasn’t told anyone but me. She wouldn’t have told me but… she wanted you to know.”

Akaashi didn’t like the look in Kaori’s face. It scared him. 

“She had a dream about the person with life perception. She said they were with you and someone else.” Before Akaashi could ask she shook her head. “He described him, it wasn’t Bokuto-san. Based on her description I think it was that friend of yours, the Crow Sect guy. He was at the wedding.”

“Suga… umm, Sugawara-san?”

“Yeah, that one. He was there and there was a fourth person that Yukie said she thought was a person with death perception.”

“So… there’s two of them?”

“That what she thinks.” Kaori shook her head. “But she wanted only you to know because you were… you seemed to be protecting them.”

“Huh.” Was all Akaashi could think to respond. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“She’s worried though. She said there was something about the feeling of the dream that she didn’t like. And usually her dreams end with a sort of fade to white but this one… it seemed like you were swallowed by blackness then she woke up.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Akaashi told her, honestly not sure what to make of the dream. “I’ll be fine.”

“Just… please be careful. Don’t do anything rash.”

“When have I ever done anything rash?” 

Kaori laughed at that. “I guess you’re right…”

They let silence overtake their conversation, both of them staring at the fence in front of them. Akaashi felt like he wanted to say something, say anything, but he was afraid that if he started talking, he wouldn’t stop. He told Bokuto everything he could but there were some things that he couldn’t say and he hated it. Kaori was really the only one he could talk to about anything. 

“I want to tell Koutarou about magic,” Akaashi admitted, Kaori looking at him with shock plainly written on her face. “I hate lying to him.”

“You don’t have to keep it a secret,” she said after regaining her composure. 

“I don’t want to scare him…” Akaashi sighed. “And I’m afraid he’ll want to get farther into magic and it would be unsafe for him. You know.”

Kaori nodded, she’d easily felt Bokuto’s sensitivity when they first met. “He’d be easy to use. He has too much power for his own good. He’s lucky he’s had people protecting him all this time.” 

It was true. Without Kuroo and then Akaashi, Bokuto probably would have gotten himself into trouble by accident. Hell, he’d done that a few times and had barely come out of those experiences unharmed.

“But,” Akaashi looked up at Kaori. “Maybe it would be better if he knew what he was up against.”

“Maybe,” Akaashi murmured, falling silent again, this time both of them remaining that way for a long time until, finally, Suzumeda-san called them in for dinner. 

Akaashi knew he needed to come clean to Bokuto. He hated lying to him and, also, he wished he was here with him right now. 

\---

“Thank you for coming today,” Onaga Kouta had been the head of the the Owl Sect since before Akaashi was born. He had a big family and yet there were rumors that none of his children were interested in taking his place at head of the Owl Sect. The most promising kid was their youngest son who was Kaori’s age. But, even he seemed mostly uninterested in a job of that type, opting more for a quiet strength if the rumors were true. 

Akaashi didn’t know him—he thought his name was Wataru—much since education in the Owl Sect was usually pretty strict about keeping students within their own age group. The only reason Akaashi was friends with Kaori was that she was his next door neighbor. Akaashi didn’t know how Kaori and Yukie became friends but he thought he’d heard Kaori mention their mom’s were old friends.

“I know this meeting was called on short notice, but we have a grave problem we need to handle.”

There were about fifty people in the room, which was really too many in Akaashi’s opinion. The Owl Sect had just under twenty main family lines—there were some smaller ones, but they weren’t usually invited to these types of meetings since they had little to no power in the sect—and most families had two to four different households. The Akaashi line had apparently once been the biggest family lines in the sect but Naoko’s siblings had been mainly girls, none of which kept the Akaashi name like her. So that left Naoko’s one brother—who had two girls and a boy—and Keiji to carry on the Akaashi name so… well, the bloodline was in a little bit of trouble. 

“Onaga-san, what is going on?” A man Akaashi knew by sight but not name stood. “Why are you being so secretive?” 

“Because this needs to be handled with the utmost caution.” Onaga breathed deeply, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking. “A child was born about seven months ago who seemed to hold potential for great magic. He truly seemed like he’d be the next great of our sect. But, last month his magic started to solidify. He has a double ability and those are the reason we’re here.”

Akaashi felt sick, putting the pieces of information he had together quickly. He was able to come to a few likely scenarios and he didn’t like any of them. 

“As you may know, my son is adept at ability reading. I’d like him to explain.” He turned to look at young man sitting next to him, who stood quickly, looking a little nervous. He was tall, unfairly so. Akaashi was sure he was over 190 cm tall, though he couldn’t say how much taller. “Wataru, if you will.”

Wataru nodded to his father, smiling slightly at the man in a way that made Akaashi momentarily jealous before he pushed that feeling down. 

“While usually it’s impossible to tell the ability of someone so young,” Wataru began, seeming unused to the spotlight. “This child showed strong affinities starting at around four months old. His first ability to manifest was foresight with projection. It was the projection that was first noticed, since he tends to project visions into other’s minds while they sleep. His prediction are often inaccurate and it seems that he still doesn’t understand how to sift through the likely and unlikely futures. He often projects disastrous futures into other’s dreams.”

“Wataru,” Onaga said, startling the young man out of his near ramblings. Akaashi was sure if Wataru spent a little more time practicing, he could be a great speaker. He thought he might just made a good leader if he wanted to be. 

“Sorry.” He bowed slightly to the group. “The other ability first manifested at six months. We haven’t observed him making active use of this ability but… but it’s there.”

“What’s there?” Someone called, the gathered group uncharacteristically restless and uneasy. Rumors had surely gotten around and everyone just wanted to know if they were true. 

“Life perception,” Onaga finished when his son paused for too long. He stood and put a hand on the young man’s shoulder, smiling at him before turning to the rest of the group. “He has the ability of life perception.” 

Akaashi had expected that and yet he found himself as shocked as everyone else in the room. For a moment there was silence as people tried to come to terms with the words they’d just heard.

“Life perception?” The first person to stand was a man Akaashi knew as Kaori’s uncle. He was surprised he hadn’t heard about Yukie’s dreams already. Honestly, the only people who didn’t look surprised were Kaori’s father, Yukie’s mother, and Akaashi’s mother. Maybe everyone else had just convinced themselves the rumors weren’t true. “Where are you keeping it?”

“The child was under watch from the time he started to show signs of precognition. He’s still under the same watch and it heavily charmed. He won’t be doing anyone any harm right now.”

“Exactly, right now.” Akaashi couldn’t keep track of who all these people were and he felt a little like he didn’t belong at this meeting. “What did you even bring us here for? To scare us all? Is that what you’re going to tell the entire sect?”

“No, we didn’t call this meeting just to tell you this.” Onaga’s voice was steely. “We called you here to decide what to do with the child. His parents have refused to raise him so he is in our hands now. We need to decide, does he stay as a child of the sect or…” Onaga looked unhappy. “Or do we kill the child?”

There was momentary silence between someone called out, “Well, of course we kill it!” 

Then the room exploded into arguments and shouting, the sound meaningless to Akaashi’s numb mind as he looked at the people around him. 

Kaori’s father—Ryou—was arguing with his brother, both looking heated. Yukie’s mother was nearly shouting at the woman next to her, anger in both their face. Akaashi’s mother was talking at a lower volume but Akaashi recognized the venom in the words as she argued with her brother. Her argument was the only one Akaashi could hear clearly, since she was sitting right next to him.

“We have to kill the child. I don’t want to but this is about the greater good.”

Akaashi looked down at his hands. They were shaking, one of his cuticles bleeding from where he’d been picking at it from the moment he sat down. He looked for a long time at the wedding band on his left hand, wondering what Bokuto would do. Knowing what Bokuto would do.

“Everyone!” Onaga shouted, “Quiet, please!” 

Everyone was still talking and that was when Akaashi saw Wataru stand, his voice booming over everyone.

“Listen!”

Silence fell over the group, all of them surprised by the young man’s loud voice. He didn’t say anything else, just bowing and sitting back down. 

“Thank you.” Onaga looked just as surprised by his son as everyone else was. “Everyone, I know this isn’t an easy decision, but we need to be civil about this.”

“I’ll take him.” Akaashi didn’t remember standing. He didn’t remember even thinking about standing. He wasn’t sure what the hell he was doing. “I don’t care what you all decide, I won’t let you touch a hair on that baby’s head.”

“Keiji-kun,” his mother hissed. “What are you doing?”

“Akaashi-san, this is unexpected.” Onaga blinked, looking between Akaashi and his mother. “But you don’t have the authority–”

“I don’t think you heard me.” Akaashi could feel his entire body shaking but even he couldn’t tell if it was from anger or fear. “I don’t care what you decide. Nobody is killing a seven month old baby because of an ability you’re all afraid of.”

“Keiji, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Naoko stood, earning her a glare from her son which she returned easily. “Life perception isn’t just some ability.” She glanced over the group. “Anyone who wasn’t around during the last incident shouldn’t even be allowed to make this choice.” 

“That was different,” Ryou stood now. “Kouichi-senpai was defending himself from all of you!” 

Ishikawa Kouichi was the last person to have life perception—at least he was the last one that the Owl Sect knew about—and much like this child, he’d had precognition. It depended who you asked, but Akaashi had heard from people like Ryou that the young man had been used for his strong magic and that at some point he’d had enough and tried to escape, killing a lot of people in the process. 

Life and death perception were dangerous abilities but so was a cornered rat so Akaashi couldn’t agree with people like his mother who assumed the abilities made someone inherently evil. 

“Really? Is that why he killed his own friends?” 

“They were hardly his friends anymore!” Ryou was bristling. “And there’s a difference between losing control for no reason and losing control because you have no other option.”

Naoko’s eyes narrowed but Akaashi saw the slight smile she got when she was ready to hit someone where it hurt. 

“Just because Ishikawa would get on his knees for you–”

“How dare you!” Ryou tired to lunge towards Noako but his brother grabbed him before he could. “You didn’t know him for shit!” 

“Enough!” Onaga looked uncertain and annoyed. “This isn’t time for such petty arguments. Don’t misunderstand, we are debating over the life of a child. If you can’t stomach that idea then I don’t want to hear you arguing for killing him. If you think he should be killed, I understand, but you had better be prepared to kill him yourself.”

Onaga looked over everyone, looking pointedly at Naoko and Ryou, who both sat down without further insults or shouting. 

“Now, Akaashi-san, please explain yourself. How do you propose to keep this boy safe. How do you propose to keep us safe? You live in a largely Modal area, how would you protect them?”

“I am one of the best charmers in this sect,” Akaashi said, barely believing his own words but needing to sound convincing. “I have perfected my protection charms and dampening charms. I will keep this child charmed. I will keep my home charmed. And,” Akaashi took a deep breath. “If the child gets out of control, you have my word that I will subdue him. If that means killing him, so be it. But until he is shown to be an actual threat, I won’t let anyone hurt him.”

“How do we know you’ll be able to kill him?”

“Because life without Kou– without my husband is not something I would ever be able to do. I will protect him with my life.” He gave the gathering a look of contempt that he’d practiced over his life, hoping to be able to pull it out against his mother one day. This wasn’t the application he had in mind, but it was something. “Don’t get me wrong, either, I’m not going to let you hurt this child until he’s shown himself to be a plausible threat. I will fight every one of you to save him if I have to.”

“Well, umm, let’s take vote anyway… The choices are kill the child or give custody to Akaashi Keiji.” Onaga looked concerned and uncomfortable as he looked at the list of names for the gathered crowd. “I guess we start with the Akaashi family… Akaashi Keiji, how do you vote?”

“Custody,” Akaashi said, feeling nothing. 

“Akaashi Makoto.”

“Custody.” Keiji and Makoto made eye contact and exchanged a nod. Akaashi hadn’t expected his uncle to side with him, but he was glad for it. 

“Akaashi Naoko.”

“Death.”

The voting continued on and Akaashi was too numb to even pay attention to the count. Instead, he was planning what he’d do if the count didn’t end up in his favor.

“I’ll be deferring my decision until the end so as to not taint anyone’s opinion,” Onaga told the crowd before moving on. “Suzumeda Ryou.”

“Custody.”

“Suzumeda Takumi.”

Takumi looked at Akaashi then he looked at his brother before finally sighing to himself. 

“Custody.” 

They continued on, quickly coming to the end of the list. Faster than Akaashi would have liked, his numbness starting to fade into panic over what he’d done. 

Onaga looked around the room and said confidently, “My vote is for custody. Akaashi Keiji-san has always been a reliable young man and I trust him.” He turned and looked at the secretary who’d been writing down everyone’s answers. “Do you have the results?”

She stood, her back straight and her face giving away nothing. Akaashi wondered if she was happy with the results or not. He wondered if she wanted to be allowed to shout at everyone about either the danger of this child or why the child should be saved. 

“54 members were present. Two abstained, twenty-three voted to kill the child, and twenty-nine voted to give Akaashi Keiji custody of the child.” 

“It’s decided.” Onaga looked at Akaashi with hard but thankful eyes. “Akaashi Keiji will be given legal custody of the child. He will be responsible for the child’s raising and also keeping the child’s magic in check. He has pledged to this with his and his husband’s lives.” 

Akaashi wasn’t really sure what he’d done, but he had a feeling he’d fucked up.


	4. You Left Me Charmed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's just a very charming person.

“What is up with you?” Oikawa asked Akaashi from where he was lounging behind the counter. “You’ve been fidgeting for almost a week now and it just keeps getting worse. What happened last week?”

Akaashi jumped a little in his seat at the counter, feeling like he’d been caught doing something bad. And he had been because he needed to be less noticeable about how he was feeling. Also, if he wasn’t careful then everyone he knew was going to start being affected by his anxiety.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Oikawa-san.”

“Come on, Akaashi-kun,” Sugawara said, looking up from his phone where he was definitely texting his new boyfriend—Akaashi hadn’t met him yet but Sugawara had fallen hard for the young man. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Then why are you fidgeting with that charmed owl?” Sugawara asked, his smile predatory.

Akaashi jerked his hand away from the small, black owl figure sitting near the register. He hadn’t meant to fidget with it any more than he meant to fidget with his fingers, but this was much worse. He’d given way too much away.

“Who ordered that?” Oikawa asked, his smile matching Sugawara’s. “Did someone hot order that?”

Akaashi turned red, refusing to look at his two friends—he wasn’t sure he could call them friends yet since they didn’t know each other very well but it was the best word he had for them—as he tried to regain control of himself. He’d met Bokuto once and he needed to stop being so stupid. Especially not when Bokuto was a Mode.

Akaashi guessed he just wasn’t used to people being so nice to him. Or so interested. Oikawa and Sawamura were really nice to him but they had initially been drawn to him because they’d heard stories about the Owl Sect. Bokuto, though, had just been… interested. On top of that, he reminded Akaashi a little of his old friend Kaori.

“I don’t know what you two are talking about–” Akaashi was interrupted by the store’s door opening. “Aah, welcome.”

“Hi again!” Bokuto was as loud as Akaashi remembered him, all smiles and bright eyes. “I thought I’d never get the time to come out here.”

“Oh, hello Bokuto-san. I was starting to think you didn’t want the owl.”

Behind his back, Oikawa and Sugawara were exchanging knowing looks and wiggling their eyebrows at Akaashi’s stiff back.

“Of course I want it! I’ve just been busy and this place is really out of the way.”

“Really? Then why were you here last week?”

“I got lost,” Bokoto said matter-of-factly, not even a little shame in his words. “Do you still have him?”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, showing Bokuto the owl. “How do you know it’s a he?”

“Like I said, it looks like you.” Only as he stepped up to the counter did Bokuto notice the two other people in the store. “Oh! Hello! Do you work here too?”

“No, they’re just here to bother me.” Akaashi turned to glare at them, daring both men to say anything other than hello and their names.

“He means we’re his friends,” Oikawa said with a cute smile. “I’m Oikawa Tooru.”

“I’m Sugawara Koushi, it’s nice to meet you… Bokuto-san?”

“Bokuto Koutarou.” Bokuto gave them both a big smile.

“Nice to meet you, Taro-chan.” Oikawa smiled as Akaashi packaged the owl. “What do you do?”

“I’m in university. And I play volleyball.”

“Oh, really, that explains your arms.” Akaashi was trying his best to type the price of the owl into the cash register but his hands were shaking pretty badly. “Don’t you agree Aka-chan?”

Akaashi still hated Oikawa’s nickname but he had already gotten used to the fact that it wasn’t going to change, no matter how many times Akaashi told him to stop calling him that.

“You should be careful, Oikawa-san. Iwaizumi-san might just hear about that comment if you’re not.”

“Mean!” Oikawa shouted, making Sugawara laugh and Akaashi was glad that he’d been able to move the conversation on.

“That’ll be one thousand yen.” Bokuto paid in coins with an almost apologetic look as Akaashi had to count his collection of ten, fifty, and hundred yen coins. There were even a few one and five yen coins in there. “Looks good, here you are.”

“Thanks! Next time I get paid, I’ll be back.”

“Okay,” Akaashi said, realizing that maybe Bokuto hadn’t actually forgotten his wallet last week. The coins in neat piles on the counter suggested someone who was trying to save enough money to buy something but who only had change to spare.

Bokuto’s phone started beeping and when he looked at it, he got a panicked look on his face.

“I have to go! I’ll see you again, Akaashi!”

He ran from the store before Akaashi could respond, bagged owl in his hand and some papers that had fallen out of his pocket left behind.

“Oh my god, where do I start?” Oikawa asked shrilly.

“Don’t.”

“He was totally flirting with you, I cannot believe this.” Oikawa pretended to swoon, dropping back down onto the couch. “And he calls you Akaashi? How romantic.”

“I think he’s just an idiot.” Akaashi sighed, getting up to clean the papers off of the floor. “And he wasn’t flirting with me.”

“A person could tell you they were flirting with you and you still wouldn’t know they were flirting with you.” Sugawara smirked at Akaashi. “It’s your one weak point in your whole weird overanalysis thing.”

“You’re the ones over analyzing things. He’s just a friendly person with a lot of energy and obviously not much time to think about what he’s saying.”

“Whatever, but you definitely think he’s hot.” Oikawa lifted his head to look at Sugawara. “I mean, Aka-chan, he’s your type.”

“First, stop calling me that I am a year younger than you.” Akaashi stood and glared at Oikawa. “Second, I called one guy cute once and suddenly he’s my type?”

“Scary!” Oikawa yelped, the smile on his face saying he wasn’t scared at all. “Suga-chan, make him stop.”

“Akaashi-kun, you flirted with four of the defenders on Iwaizumi-kun’s hockey team at one party, you have a type.” Sugawara’s smile dropped. “But I have a real question for you, what’s up with putting a charm on it? There’s no way that is what the normal price for a charmed item would be. That was a strong charm, too.”

Akaashi didn’t respond. He’d hoped his friends wouldn’t remember that the owl was charmed.

“What’s your point? This is a charm shop.” Akaashi knew that was a weak deflection, but he was tired.

“If you don’t like him then why are you going around giving free charms to cats?”

“Cats?” Akaashi hadn’t been expecting that. “What do you mean?”

“He smells like a damn cat,” Sugawara explained. “Sorry, I mean that his signature is a cat’s. It’s a weak signature, but it’s there. And I could feel how powerful he was from the moment he walked in.”

“He’s not a Magic.” Akaashi shook his head. “He’s a Mode.”

“Wait,” Oikawa nearly fell off the couch, he sat up so fast. “The Great Akaashi Keiji gave a free charm to an unsuspecting Mode? I thought those of the Owl Sect didn’t even talk to Modes.”

“Shut up, Oikawa.” Sugawara told him, seeming a little worried. “Akaashi-kun… You know, it might be good for you to spend some time with a Mode. He seems to be actually interested in you and it could be–”

“No.” Akaashi interrupted. “If he wants to come to the store, that’s fine, but I’m not becoming friends with him. It’s a bad idea. I’ll be going home in not too long so it’s better if I don’t get involved. Especially not with Modes.”

Oikawa and Sugawara exchanged a glance, Sugawara shaking his head at Oikawa’s questioning look. After a few moments of silence, Oikawa fell back onto the couch.

“Fine, have it your way.”

And with that, the room fell silent until closing, everyone’s mind swirling with questions that would, for now, remain unanswered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the whole reason I decided to use honorifics was so I could have Oikawa call Akaashi "Aka-chan." I was thinking about what Oikawa's dumb nickname for Akaashi would be, and when I randomly said Aka-chan I knew what I had to do........
> 
> (for those of you who don't speak Japanese [lol not that I really do, I am barely able to use everyday Japanese and I've lived here for like eight months] Aka-chan [赤ちゃん] basically means 'baby.')


	5. Discretion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panic, pain, and an attempt at discretion.

For the first time in his life, Akaashi found he wasn’t welcome in his childhood home.

“Not with it,” his mother had said as she dropped his bag at the front door, closing it in his face and leaving him blinking and conflicted.

He felt like he’d been freed from his parents, freed from the life they wanted him to live, and yet he also felt sad.

And that’s how he ended up outside Kaori’s house like he had throughout his whole childhood.

After the meeting, he’d been whisked away to meet the baby, a bright-eyed little boy with warm brown eyes and a fuzzy whisper of orange hair on top of his head. The room they had him in was a sterile white room that looked like an unfinished digital model of a baby’s room.

The baby hadn’t been even a little afraid of Akaashi, smiling widely at him when a person he didn’t know handed the baby over and the gravity of what Akaashi had agreed to finally hit him.

So, maybe he was sad about being kicked out of his home because he was pretty sure he needed help right now.

“Keiji-kun!” Suzumeda-san answered, looking concerned and surprised, her voice calling her husband and daughter to the door. “Come in, come in.”

“Thank you,” Akaashi said, his voice smaller and more strained than he expected. He was just glad that because he was basically holding a human charm—thanks to the trinkets the baby had—his ability was dampened enough to not be affecting everyone with his emotional instability. His personal dampening charms had already broken and he was sure if he fell apart anymore, the baby’s charms wouldn't be enough. “And thank you, Suzumeda-san for…” He looked at Ryou silently for a little while. “Well, thank you.”

“Keiji-senpai, what did you do?” Kaori asked, looking at him like he was crazy. “You promised not to get yourself into trouble. This is trouble!”

“It’s fine,” Akaashi lied, trying to take deep breaths and calm himself down.

“Here,” Suzumeda-san reached out for the baby and Akaashi handed him over carefully, realizing he wasn’t sure he’d ever held a baby before this. Had he ever held Bokuto’s sister’s baby? That was the only baby he knew. “Aren’t you just the cutest thing? He’s so small. Are we sure he’s seven months old?”

“I’m pretty sure,” Akaash responded, though he had no idea. He’d honestly thought the baby was too big to be seven months old. He really knew nothing about babies. What the hell had he done?

“Well, this big boy needs to get some rest.” She said matter-of-factly. “I’ll set him up on our bed. It’s big enough that I think he’ll be safe. It’s too bad we don’t still have Kaori’s crib. Someone should probably always watch him, though, just to be safe.”

“I can–” Akaash started but Suzumeda-san waved him away.

“You look terrible Keiji-kun, get some rest first.”

She disappeared and suddenly Akaashi, instead of feeling calmer, felt like he was going to collapse. How was he going to explain this to Bokuto? The only time they’d ever even had baby stuff in their house was before Bokuto’s sister’s baby shower. What had he been thinking? This was possibly the stupidest thing he’d ever done and now there was nothing he could do.

“I don’t even know where to buy a baby crib.” Was the first thing to come tumbling out of Akaashi’s mouth and despite themselves, Kaori and Ryou found themselves laughing and Akaashi wasn’t offended by it because that had been a stupid thing to say. Soon enough he found himself laughing along with them, an edge of hysterics in his laughter but it was laughter nonetheless. By the time Kaori lead him to the living room and onto the couch, there were tears streaming down his cheeks that he would attribute to his laughter even though it was pretty obvious they were from the stress of being in way over his head.

Ryou came and put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder when the young man’s laughter had finally petered out. Akaashi looked up at him and while Ryou’s face was grim, there was a spark of hope in it.

“You did a good thing today.”

“I sort of wish I hadn’t,” Akaashi admitted.

“You’ll be okay, son, you’ll be fine.”

Akaashi looked at him for a long time before he closed his eyes tightly, wishing he could wake up from this nightmare.

“I hope you’re right.”

\---

Daichi was sitting quietly at the kitchen counter, drinking a cup of coffee and listening to Suga sing to himself in a language Daichi didn’t know. He’d never asked what the language was, preferring the mystery of an unknown language.

Suga sang to himself often, his voice not that of a trained singer but instead of someone who sang a lot for fun. Like usual, he was singing while doing his hair and makeup in the morning before heading to work. Daichi still didn’t completely understand why his husband did his makeup for work when most of the day was spent at his computer, typing out lines of code all alone, but Daichi didn’t question it. If he got to see Suga with flawless makeup every morning he wasn’t going to complain.

A knock at their front door pulled Daichi out of his zen and he sighed, standing to get the door.

“Dai–!”

“I’m going, don’t worry,” Daichi called back before Suga could finish. “Hello– oh, Akaashi-kun.”

Daichi hadn’t been expecting Akaashi since he was supposed to be on his way home from visiting his parents. Daichi didn’t know much about Akaashi since they only knew each other through Suga, but he was aware of at least a little tension between Akaashi and his parents. He also expected him to be hurrying back to Bokuto as soon as possible. No matter how much he pretended to be a cool and mostly uncaring guy, Akaashi was one of the most obvious people Daichi knew and he was married to Sugawara Koushi.

“Is Suga-san home?” Akaashi’s voice was stiff and careful. He looked tired and afraid. Daichi didn’t know what was going on or what was wrong, but he was afraid just looking at Akaashi. No, more than that, he thought he felt a creeping anxiety in his body that usually only happened when he was getting ready to do something scary. It was a strange thing to think, but it didn’t feel like his own fear.

“Umm… yeah. Akaashi-kun, are you okay?” Akaashi was weighed down with three bags and a large bundle in his arms that Daichi was slowly processing the oddness of. When it moved slightly in the man’s arms, the pieces fell into place for him. “Akaashi-kun, is that–?”

“Please, I just– I need–” For the first time since Daichi had met him—with the exception of his wedding day—Akaashi looked like he was on the edge of tears. “Suga. Please.”

“Okay. Umm, just come in. I’ll get him.” Daichi was already turning as he called into the house for Suga. “Koushi, Akaashi-kun is here to see you.”

“Akaashi?” Suga poked his head out of the bathroom and caught a glimpse of Akaashi disappearing into the living room. “Oh, it is Akaashi-kun. I’ll be right there.”

“Umm, Koushi.” Suga was surprised by the looked of unease on Daichi’s face. He radiated an odd fear that only took Suga a moment to identify as Akaashi’s doing. “There’s… umm… I’m not sure what’s going on, but–”

“Darling, don’t worry.” Suga kissed Daichi on the cheek, touching his arm comfortingly. It was so unlike Akaashi to let his emotions—and his ability—to get out of check. If he was affecting Daichi then it meant his dampening charms had broken, something that only happened if he’d truly lost control of his ability. “I’m sure everything is okay. Could you call my boss and tell him I had a family emergency and need to take a day off?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks, babe.” Suga kissed Daichi again then headed for the living room.

Before he even stepped into the living room, a loud cry split the air and Suga was stopped momentarily, confusion taking over his mind until, finally, he realized that wasn’t the sound of anyone he knew crying. It was a baby.

“Akaashi?” Suga nearly ran into the living room, “What–?”

He stopped and watched as an exhausted-looking Akaashi rocked a fussy baby while whispering what Suga recognized as a protection charm against magic.

Once he finished, the baby quieted down and fell asleep quickly, obviously as tired as Akaashi.

“Akaashi, what the hell?”

Akaashi looked up at Sugawara, opening and closing his mouth a few times before his entire body seemed to collapse and suddenly Sugawara realized Akaashi was crying. His face barely moved and the tears were silent, but they were still big and obvious and Sugawara tried to remember if he’d ever seen Akaashi cry, other than during extremes of happiness.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Sugawara sat down next to Akaashi, touching his shoulder hesitantly before pulling him into a side-hug that only sort of worked. Still, Akaashi leaned into the touch and Sugawara realized he was shaking like a leaf.

Akaashi was the one of them they always seemed the oldest, especially when he, Oikawa, and Suga were younger. But, just like back then, there were times when it all broke down and Suga remembered that Akaashi was younger than them, especially with his December birthday. On top of that, he had very little experience dealing with a range of emotions because of his status as an empath with strong projection side effects.

“Talk to me.” The baby woke up because of the jostling but he didn’t cry, instead smiling at Sugawara, seemingly unaffected by Akaashi’s panic, the reason for the protection charm suddenly obvious. “What’s going on? Why do you have a baby? What’s wrong?”

“I had to. They were going to kill him and I had to stop them so I– Goddamn it, I’m such an idiot!”

“Akaashi-kun, hey, come on.” Suga carefully took the baby away from Akaashi, the child giggling a little before reaching out to grab at Suga’s necklace but he gently swatted the baby’s hand out of the way. “Did you just get back?”

Akaashi nodded, his shoulders curling into his body as he sniffled a little and wiped angrily at his eyes.

“What am I even going to tell Kou? I told him I was going to visit my parents because my dad was sick. How about I supposed to explain a baby? And how can we take care of a baby? I have no clue how to take care of a baby. I don’t know the first thing about kids and oh, gods, Suga-san they were going to kill him.”

“Why?” Suga didn’t understand why someone would feel the need to kill this boy. Sure, he was strong, but Suga couldn’t sense anything else about him magic. He wasn’t really old enough to have a defined magic. “I can’t feel anything dangerous about him.”

“It’s the dampening charms,” Akaashi explained. “Without them, you’d be able to– his abilities have already manifested.”

“Really?”

“Precognition with projection.” Akaashi looked up at Suga. “And life perception.”

“Life… perception?” He looked back at the happy little baby. “Really?”

“Really. I have to keep him and our house heavily charmed from now on. I’ll probably have to make extra charms for Kou too, otherwise, he’ll be in danger. I’m not afraid of a baby, I’m really not, but I’m afraid that I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m afraid I’ll get Kou killed. I so, so afraid and I can’t stop being afraid.” Akaashi’s eyes were watering again but he didn’t let the tears fall. “God, I need to apologize to Sawamura-san. I don’t know how, but I need to. I’m sure I made him really afraid accidentally.”

“It’s okay, he’ll be fine.” Suga was lucky that along with his magic detection ability he had stronger than average mental shields, otherwise, he’d probably be a sobbing mess right now. “Akaashi-kun, it's going to be okay. Somehow, I'm sure it's going to be okay.”

“Sorry,” Akaashi murmured, finally regaining control of his emotions. Well, at least partially. “Sorry about this.”

“Don't apologize,” Suga said, punching Akaashi just a little too hard in the arm. “So, what're you going to tell Bokuto-kun?”

“I have no idea,” Akaashi groaned. “But I have a favor to ask you.”

“What?”

“Can you take care of him until I talk to Kou? It'll be better if I don't literally drop a baby onto him.”

“That's fine, but can you tell me his name?”

Akaashi blinked. “Oh. Sorry. His name is Shouyou.”

“What a cute name,” Suga smiled at the baby who was giggling again. “Well, Shou-chan, ready to spend a day with your coolest uncles?”

“Oikawa-san will kill you if he hears that,” Akaashi said with a smile, breathing deeply and pulling the ring off his middle finger.

“What're you doing?”

“Charming myself with a dampening charm,” Akaashi explained. “I don't want to accidentally do to Kou what I did to Sawamura-san. He's too sensitive and I don't want to chance it.”

“You know, if you want to tell Bokuto-kun about Magics, Oikawa-kun and I will support you.”

“I know,” Akaashi said because even if he didn’t understand why, he knew those two would have his back. “Well, I’m off I guess.”

“Take your time.” Suga smiled as Akaashi tried to return the smiling, mostly failing though. “Shou-chan and I are going to have a lot of fun together, right baby boy?”

Shouyou grabbed at Suga’s necklace, this time too quick for the man, pulling at the necklace hard enough for Suga to jerk forward. This elicited a laugh from Akaashi and a fit of giggles from Shouyou.

“Have fun, then.”

Akaashi hadn’t felt so close to throwing up in a long time.

\---

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Bokuto was bad at math, he was aware of that and was trying to use that fact to outweigh the anxiety tugging at every one of his thoughts.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Based on how long it usually took Akaashi to get home after he called saying he was starting the final leg of his journey, Bokuto was sure he was late. And not by a few minutes, but by almost two hours. And not only that, but he hasn't called or texted. It wasn't like Akaashi to not check in.

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Maybe the train had crashed. Maybe Akaashi had been killed in a mugging. Maybe he'd been kidnapped by a cult.

_Tap, tap, tap–_

_Click._

Bokuto looked up, hearing the door unlocking in the other room. He was up and running to the door before it had even started to swing open.

“Keiji!” He shouted, throwing his arms around the person the moment he saw the head of messy black hair. “Are you okay?”

“Kou, I won't be if you don't stop squeezing me,” Akaashi said, used to Bokuto's too tight hugs but still a little worried about the structural integrity of his bones.

“Sorry!” Bokuto let him go, looking over his husband with wild eyes that made Akaashi feel guilty about not sending more update. But it wasn't like he could say he was stopping by Suga’s to drop off a baby. “Keiji, what's wrong?

“Huh?”

“You're upset.”

Akaashi thought he'd done a pretty good job of hiding how distressed he was. That said, he and Bokuto had known each other for long enough that he should have known that wouldn't work. Not to mention Bokuto's sensitivity would probably alert him subconsciously to the fact that something was different about Akaashi.

“Uh, ah, yeah.” Akaashi laughed humorlessly and then took a shuddering breath to try and recenter himself. “I did something stupid.”

“You?” Bokuto raised an eyebrow. “How stupid could it have been?”

Akaashi breathed, getting ready to tell the temporary story he had planned for Bokuto. It was a bad story but he didn't really care. Hopefully, it wouldn't need to stick around long.

“I have a brother. A twin brother. We never got along. He and I… well we are similar in some ways but different in others. He was always trying to please his– our parents. He was the perfect son and I… well, you know.” Bokuto nodded. “I didn't go home because my father was sick. I went home because my brother was dying and… well, he died. He had a son who is not even one and his wife died when the baby was born.”

Akaashi paused, leaning his face into Bokuto's chest. He couldn't bare looking at him while he liked through his teeth.

“I– for some reason I was the next of kin in the event of the baby having no parents. I could have let other people deal with it but I…”

Akaashi found his throat had nearly closed on itself, not letting him continue. But Bokuto wasn't an idiot, no matter what certain people had said to the contrary throughout his life, and he'd finished this puzzle.

“Kei– Keiji, did you adopt a baby?”

“I–” Akaashi looked up at Bokuto. “I'm sorry, it was stupid but I didn't want him to grow up with my parents. I was being selfish and–”

Suddenly, Bokuto pulled Akaashi into another tight hug, pulling him off the ground as he did it. When he put Akaashi back on the ground, Akaashi saw he was grinning widely.

“What's his name?”

“Huh– oh, Shouyou.”

“What a great name!” Bokuto shouted, his smile not gone. “Cheer up, Keiji, I'm not mad.”

“Really? You know a baby is a big responsibility and–”

“And we can do it,” Bokuto interrupted, his smile softening in the way that Akaashi knew it only did for him. “I'm happy, Keiji. We're parents. Are you not happy?”

“No, I just–” Akaashi shook his head, smiling despite himself. “Yes, I'm happy.”

He could hear Ryou telling him he did a good thing and now, for the first time since Shouyou had been dropped in his arms, he felt like he did the right thing.


	6. I Accidentally Screwed This Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe he was too charming.

“Good morning, Akaashi!” Akaashi wasn't expecting Bokuto so early and yet here he was. “I need to buy a friend for Kashi.”

“Kashi?” Akaashi asked, not looking up from the work he was doing, letting Bokuto find the owls himself. 

“Sure. I couldn’t call him Akaashi because that’s your name.” Akaashi looked up, blinking at the back of Bokuto’s head. Was he really flirting or just an idiot? “So I named him Kashi.”

“Should I even ask how you’re writing that name?”

Bokuto seemed to pause to think about it. “Like... sugar food.”

Akaashi really couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be flirting. 

“Remind me again why, umm, Kashi is lonely?” 

“He needs a friend!” Bokuto said, standing and turning, holding another owl in his hand as he smiled widely at Akaashi. “And I found one!” 

But Akaashi wasn’t paying attention to the conversation anymore, his eyes drawn to the painful-looking black eye Bokuto was sporting. It was obviously old but it still looked pretty terrible.

“Bokuto-san! What happened to your eye?”

“Huh?” Bokuto said, feigning ignorance in a way that told Akaashi he was a bad liar. “Oh, this little thing? It’s nothing.”

“That’s not nothing,” Akaashi told him when he walked over to put the owl figure on the table. “What happened?”

“Just some guys being weird,” Bokuto said with a shrug. “No big deal.”

“You have a black eye! What could they possibly have done that for?”

“It's really nothing. They're just some weirdos who always ask me weird questions. Things about cats or something.” 

Akaashi’s mind went back to what Sugawara had said about Bokuto being 'a damn cat.’ Later on, Akaashi had asked Sugawara about it and he explained that Bokuto had Cat Sect magic clinging to him.

“This time they asked me about owls, though.” 

Akaashi's blood ran cold, his mind coming to terms with the fact that Bokuto's black eye was probably his fault.

“Do you… do you remember what exactly they said?”

“Not really. They wanted Kashi, though, so we got in a fight.”

Akaashi sighed, “you should have just given it to them. It's not worth getting hurt over.”

“But it’s cute and it's mine,” Bokuto grumbled. “I bought it.”

Akaashi rubbed his temples, wishing he could just turn back time and tell Bokuto the store was closed.

“How often do they harass you?”

“Hmm… maybe once a month. Though, it's been more often lately.”

“It'll be 500 yen,” Akaashi said, ringing up the owl. As Bokuto counted out his money, Akaashi wrapped the owl up, his mouth moving faster than his mind or his common sense could. “I'm walking you home.”

“Huh?” Bokuto blinked at Akaashi, his body frozen in the middle of counting out the rest of the cost in ten yen coins. “What?”

“I'm walking you home.”

"Really!” He shouted, excitedly smiling at Akaashi until he seemed to realize Akaashi wasn't smiling. “Wait, why?”

“I don't want you to get into any trouble.”

“Akaashi, I'm happy to spend time with you, but if this is about those guys it's nothing.” Bokuto seemed uncertain for a moment before adding, “And no offense, but I don't think you being there will stop them. They'll probably just beat you up too.”

“I'd like to see them try,” Akaashi said, his face set as he tried not to let his emotions get out of check. He counted up Bokuto's coins and dumped them into the cash register, grabbing his jacket and coming out from behind the counter. “Let's go.”

“Oh, umm, okay.” Akaashi wasn't looking at Bokuto so he didn't see the young man blushing. “Thanks.”

Akaashi didn't respond, instead, he pulled off the black ring on his middle finger and held it close to his mouth, murmuring a charm as he did. Once he was finished, he slipped out back on while Bokuto watched him interestedly. 

“What did you just do?”

“I was saying a prayer,” Akaashi lied. “Hopefully it'll be enough.”

\---

They didn't run into the guys that day, but Akaashi guessed it wouldn't be long before they showed up again. He just needed to properly scare the shit out of those assholes.

So, he started spending more time with Bokuto. He'd always walk him home from the shop when he stopped by and he also started picking him up from one of his classes that was far from his apartment.

Bokuto's apartment was in a pretty shitty neighborhood, but Akaashi wasn't too worried about Bokuto being attacked by Modes. It was Magics he was worried about and most Magics came from families with money or, at least, lived in areas that were heavily populated by one sect. Akaashi’s sect lived in a small town together with a few stray Magics who either left their own sect or didn't have one to begin with. It was uncommon for a Magic family to live outside a sect but it wasn't unheard of. That's how Akaashi's uncle wasn't part of the Owl Sect but still grew up in the same town. 

Akaashi wasn't all that sensitive to magic so he couldn't be sure, but it seemed to him that there wasn't a large Magic population in the area of Bokuto's apartment. The only Magic Akaashi had noticed was one time Bokuto was supposed to pick up his friend so they stopped by his apartment on their way back from the shop. The friend hadn't been around—Bokuto had complained about that fact for the rest of the week—but Akaashi could feel multiple strong charms on just the door. He couldn't place the sect—he was only sensitive to the existence of charms—but he thought it made sense this friend was the reason Sugawara had thought Bokuto was a Magic.

Today, they were heading from the shop to Bokuto's volleyball practice as Bokuto talked non-stop. Akaashi didn't mind because Bokuto's talking meant he didn't need to try and fill their walk with conversation.

“I just wish I could still play with my high school team,” Bokuto sighed. “They were great. And they were really nice to me.”

“Aren’t you're current teammates?”

“I mean they're nice when I'm doing good, but…” Bokuto frowned for a moment before smiling and letting out a laugh that didn't sound right to Akaashi. “Oh, it's really nothing. I just meant my high school team was nice.”

Akaashi wasn't convinced but he let it pass, quietly noticing the way Bokuto pulled his bag closer to his chest and how his eyes wouldn't rest on anything in particular.

“I'd love to meet then,” Akaashi said without thinking—he’d been doing that a lot lately.

“Really?” Bokuto perked up, smiling widely at Akaashi. “We should totally have a pickup volleyball game! I'll invite them and you can invite your friends from before.”

“I don't know, I don't really play sports.” Akaashi had watched Kaori play volleyball when they were younger and had occasionally helped her train, but that was the extent of his volleyball experience. And the last time he’d really done any sports was in elementary school. “I wouldn't be very good.”

“Sure you would!” Bokuto grabbed at Akaashi's hands, causing Akaashi to jerk backward but not fast enough to stop Bokuto from catching his hand. “Look! Your hands are bigger than mine. You would be a great setter!”

“Bokuto-san, please let go of my hand,” Akaashi said, hoping his face wasn’t as red as it felt like it was. 

“And it would just be for fun,” Bokuto added, letting go of Akaashi’s hand without seeming to notice the flush in his cheeks. “Playing volleyball with friends is always fun.”

Akaashi blinked at him, unsure what to say and Bokuto’s smile dropped again, his voice softer and more uncertain than Akaashi had heard so far. It seemed wrong but not out of place, like it was something his face knew how to do well. At the same time, it was like his face didn’t want to be looking like that. 

“Sorry… I guess maybe we aren’t friends?”

“Oh, umm, it’s not that… I just–” 

But Akaashi didn’t get to finish that thought—not that he really knew what he was going to say, his mind still shocked to hear Bokuto call him a friend so easily—because when they turned the corner, there were three young men waiting for them. 

Akaashi started to apologize for nearly running into them but then he stopped, noticing the intense magic clinging to them. It was a swirl of charms that made Akaashi feel a little dizzy. 

“Well, if it isn’t our old friend.” One of them said, smiling at Bokuto predatorially, putting Akaashi immediately on guard. “And I’m guessing this is the owl you’ve been hanging out with.”

The one talking was shorter than Bokuto and Akaashi—his two friends, though, were both taller than Bokuto—and he had blond hair matched with a set of freckles. Despite being the shortest person here, something about his demeanor made him seem much more intimidating. 

“I’m Sakashima Isumi, it’s nice to meet you…” He reached out his hand but Akaashi didn’t take it. 

“Akaashi Keiji. Are you the people who gave Bokuto-san a black eye?” 

“Maybe.” Sakashima smiled, looking at his friends. “I don’t remember doing that but maybe.”

“Bokuto-san, please head on to practice,” Akaashi said without looking at Bokuto. “I need to talk to these three alone.”

“Akaashi, I’m not going to leave you–”

“Bokuto-san, I know you’re worried but trust me.” Akaashi refused to take his eyes off of the three, hoping they understood that he wanted to deal with this Magic to Magic. They didn’t need to get a Mode involved. 

“Akaashi–”

“Bokuto.” Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto for a moment, his eyes hard, sending a shiver down Bokuto’s spine. “Now.” 

“Okay…” He slipped past the three Magics and the didn’t pay him any mind as he disappeared around another corner, glancing back at the scene as he did. 

“How sweet of you to protect him.” Sakishima smiled and gestured to his two friends. “This is Seguro Akihiko and Hiroo Kouji. We’re from the Snake Sect.” 

Akaashi smirked at them, leaning his head back a bit as he looked down on Sakashima. Now that Bokuto was gone, he didn’t have anything to hide. All that mattered now was scaring these three enough to leave Bokuto alone. 

“And you think you can intimidate me?”

“Excuse me?” Sakishima raised an eyebrow at Akaashi. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’ve never even heard of the Snake Sect. You can’t be all that great if you spend most of your time harassing Modes and stealing charms.”

“You don’t know anything about us!” Seguro shouted, stepping toward Akaashi only to be stopped by Sakishima.

“Calm down, he’s trying to rile you up.”

“Is that what I’m doing?” Akaashi took a step towards them. “Mostly I was going to warn you that the Owl Sect doesn’t take kindly to Magics messing with our territory and our property. We take even less kindly to Magics messing with our people, especially when they’re Modes.” 

“You’re not that scary, owl boy.” Sakishima raised an eyebrow at Akaashi. “Your charms are impressive but that’s all. Your Mode friend has more power than you do.”

“I don’t give a fuck about that.” Akaashi grabbed Sakishima by the collar and before any of the snakes could make a move, the charm on his ring reacted with Akaashi’s emotional change. There was a flash and then Sakishima was tossed backward, hitting the ground hard as his friends ran to help him up. “You might not know me, but maybe you’ve heard of my mother. Ever heard the name Akaashi Nanako?”

Sakishima looked up a Akaashi, slight fear flashing in his eyes before it was taken over by feigned arrogance. 

“Whatever, you aren’t her. Your ability is nothing.”

“Maybe, but you better get an easier target because if I find out you were harassing Bokuto-san again, I will do more than push you.” 

“Fuck this, Sakishima-kun.” Hiroo said, helping Sakishima up. “It’s not worth it.”

“Fine, whatever.” Sakishima glared at Akaashi, who just smiled. “But this won’t be the last time we see each other.”

“Sure it won’t be,” Akaashi said smugly as the three Magics slithered away in the direction Akaashi and Bokuto had originally come from. Once they were gone, Akaashi slumped against a nearby wall, feeling exhausted. 

Charming his ring had tired him out enough the other day that he’d been honestly happy Bokuto’s harassers hadn’t shown up. Even with mostly full energy, though, activating such a strong charm took a toll on Akaashi. Not only did he have to activate the offensive charm, but he also had to push through Sakishima’s protection charms. None of them were that strong on their own, but altogether they made a formidable shield. 

“Akaashi!” Akaashi started into a standing position, surprised to see Bokuto running towards him. “You’re okay!” 

“Of course I am, Bokuto-san. Did you think I would lie to you?”

“No, but… they were really strong. And there were three of them…” He looked worried still but relieved that Akaashi was unharmed. “You’re really okay?”

“I’m really okay,” Akaashi assured him, smiling slightly and making Bokuto blush a little. He wasn’t sure he’d seen Akaashi smile up until now. “And they shouldn’t bother you again.”

“Wow, really? That’s so cool!” Bokuto told him genuinely before his smile dropped.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Bokuto blinked, glancing around wildly. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re a bad liar,” Akaashi told him, taking a step towards Bokuto before asking again. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just… now that you got them to stop you don’t have to… you won’t need to spend time with me anymore.”

Because Akaashi was getting into the bad habit of speaking without using his brain, he shrugged and glanced at his feet. 

“Well… I don’t know for sure that they’ll leave you alone so I should probably keep an eye on you for a bit longer.”

“You mean we can still walk places together?”

“Why not?” Akaashi asked despite being able to answer with at least fifty reasons ‘why not.’ 

But he didn’t get to think about those reasons much because Bokuto let out a screeching shout and threw his arms around Akaashi, pulling him into what Akaashi belatedly realized was a tight hug. Akaashi honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d been hugged, but he suspected it had been a hug from Kaori before he left home. Even then, she might have held off if his parents were around. 

“I’m really glad!” Bokuto said, speaking too loudly for how close his mouth was to Akaashi’s ear. “I like talking to you.”

After a moment, Akaashi smiled and let himself lean into the hug, remembering how nice it felt to be hugged by someone who cared. 

“Me too.”


	7. Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou was cute. He was also loud and excitable. Akaashi was pretty sure a seven-month-old was supposed to sleep more than he did but Shouyou always seemed to be awake and babbling or giggling or crying.

It had been one week and Akaashi was pretty sure neither he nor Bokuto was meant to be parents. Akaashi was just thankful for the help from their friends, even if none of them seemed much better at taking care of Shouyou.

Shouyou was cute. He was also loud and excitable. Akaashi was pretty sure a seven-month-old was supposed to sleep more than he did but Shouyou always seemed to be awake and babbling or giggling or crying. 

Akaashi suspected this was what Bokuto was like as a baby. 

Bokuto was in love with Shouyou from the moment he saw him. Akaashi and Bokuto had left Shouyou with Sugawara for the day, Akaashi reminding Bokuto that they really needed to get at least some basic baby furniture. And clothes. And toys. Also food. They were wholly unprepared for this and he was doing his best not to panic. He was not doing a great job of that.

On top of the stress of having a baby, he was also dealing with the fact that he spent any downtime he could manage to make charms. He needed charms for himself to dampen his emotional projection. He needed charms for the house to keep Shouyou safe and hidden from other Magics. He needed charms for Bokuto to shield him from Shouyou’s abilities and also to shield him from any emotional output Akaashi couldn't contain. 

And, of course, he needed to make charms for Shouyou. A trio of protection charms, two to dampen his abilities, and one to try and dampen his projection. Despite all those charms, both Akaashi and Bokuto had had dreams that Akaashi was sure we're projected visions. They were unlikely scenarios, but that was to be expected from such a young Magic. 

The one that stuck in Akaashi's mind, though, was a snippet of an argument between a boy he guessed was an older Shouyou and a boy with black hair. Akaashi couldn't hear anything of the words said but both boys looked upset. Shouyou looked angry and scared while the other boy looked confused and hurt. 

Akaashi's hoped that future wouldn't come true.

“We could help you,” Oikawa suggested for the 20th time that day. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks for that,” Akaashi said, his head laid on the kitchen table. Kuroo and Kenma were on baby duty—Kenma was surprisingly good with the boy, who seemed fascinated by him—and Bokuto was getting some sleep. 

Akaashi told Bokuto he was going to wait a little before he took a nap because he thought one of them should be awake. Really, he was trying to finish up the last of his charms. He'd finished charming Shouyou and the house but now he needed to finish charms for him and Bokuto.

“I mean, he's not wrong,” Sugawara informed him, pushing a glass of water Akaashi's way. “You need to drink more water.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Akaashi said, turning his face so it was squished into the table.

“I only see one mom here,” Oikawa said with a smirk, earning him a middle finger from Akaashi.

“Okay, but really Akaashi-kun,” Sugawara said, pulling the conversation back to the main point. “We can help you make charms.”

“Thanks, but I can do it. And I'm worried that adding more magic into this house will be bad for Kou. He already has to deal with plenty of owl magic, he doesn't need crows and leaves.”

“Castles!” Oikawa huffed, pouting petulantly. “We're the Castle Sect!”

“Whatever, tree boy,” Kuroo said, sitting down next to Akaashi. “Shouyou's sleeping.”

“Thanks,” Akaashi said.

“Don't thank me, it was Kenma who calmed him down.”

Tonight, Shouyou had been making a strange squawking sound that Akaashi didn’t even know babies could make. 

“When did he even learn to make that sound?” Akaashi asked, looking at Sugawara with narrowed eyes. “I bet it was you.”

“Me?” Sugawara laughed. “I think he’d just naturally crow-like. Crows are better than owls.”

“Don’t let Kou hear you say that,” Akaashi laughed tiredly, putting his face back onto the table. “He’ll kick you out of our house.” 

They all laughed at that and then went back to chatting about Shouyou before the conversation moved onto another topic. But Akaashi wasn’t paying much attention, his thoughts wandering mindlessly until, without meaning to, he fell asleep.

\---

Akaashi was roused slightly from sleep as someone picked him up. Snuggling closer to them, he recognized the smell of Bokuto’s body wash. 

“I’m awake,” Akaashi murmured, “I’m good.”

“You need sleep.” Bokuto’s voice was quiet but commanding and Akaashi sighed inwardly. When Bokuto went into a watchful, nurturing state of mind, there wasn’t much that could be done to go against his commands. “We’re all here for you. Oikawa and Kuroo and Kenma and Suga. Daichi and Iwaizumi. Me. You don’t have to do it all on your own.”

“But he’s my responsibility,” Akaashi argued as Bokuto laid him down on the bed. The covers were already pulled back which pretty much meant Akaashi had lost. “I did this.”

“I don’t care who brought him home, he’s ours now and we’ll do it together.” Bokuto leaned over and kissed Akaashi softly, his smile wide and his eyes bright despite the sleepiness of them. “It takes a city.”

Akaashi snorted, the sound small because he didn’t have the energy to make much noise. “The saying is, ‘it takes a _village_ ,’ Kou.”

Bokuto smirked, shaking his head as he backed out of the room.

“Still.” He turned off the small lamp near the door, throwing their bedroom into darkness. “Get some rest, Keiji.”

Akaashi hummed in response and it felt like he was asleep before the door closed.

\---

When Akaashi woke up, it was from a nightmare so he checked the charms on himself before remembering that he hadn't finished those yet. He headed to check on Shouyou, who was amazingly still asleep and found his charms we're unactivated so it hadn't been from him. 

Akaashi sighed, trying to banish the nightmare from his mind because it was just that. He just needed to dispel the images of the orange haired boy Akaashi had seen in one of Shouyou's projections losing control and lashing out. He needed to forget the pain and fear and he needed to forget the light leaving Bokuto's eyes.

Akaashi guessed that maybe he was under a little more stress than usual.

“Good morning,” Bokuto greeted when Akaashi wandered into the kitchen. Bokuto passed him a cup of coffee—no milk, half a teaspoon of sugar—and Akaashi smiled in return.

“Thanks.”

“Feeling better?”

“A lot,” Akaashi admitted. “Sorry.”

“You don't have to apologize.”

“I'm sure everyone was worried.”

“Nah, mostly they thought it was funny.” Bokuto smiled wide. “When I woke up, Oikawa-kun was trying to find something to draw on your face with.”

“He better watch out,” Akaashi grumbled even as he smiled a little. “I wonder if I can convince Iwaizumi-san to draw on his face?”

Bokuto laughed and Akaashi smiled, taking a deep breath. Maybe he should have let Oikawa and Sugawara help him make charms. They weren't weak Magics, even if charms weren't something that made often. But for as much as Akaashi didn't think he was good at much, he knew he was good at charms. He was afraid that if he let someone else make them, something would go wrong. He could trust his charms and even though he trusted his friends, there was a shitty part of him that couldn't let himself trust their charms.

He spent 19 years trusting almost nobody and he wasn't sure he'd grow out of his untrusting nature for a while yet. 

“When did everyone go home?”

“Not long after you fell asleep. You were asleep and so was Shouyou so they thought we were doing alright.”

“Have you been up all night?” Akaashi asked worriedly.

“No, I checked on Shouyou then got a little sleep. I woke up not long ago.”

Akaashi looked at the time. It was 11 o'clock which meant he's slept for at least twelve hours.

“By not long ago, do you mean you woke up at 6?”

“Seven,” Bokuto muttered. “I didn't want you to feel bad…”

Akaashi laughed, leaning over the table to grab Bokuto's hand. 

“I do but not because of you.” Bokuto smiled at his honesty, liking the sound of it. “And I'd have been worried if you slept past 10.”

Bokuto woke up disturbingly early in Akaashi's opinion. Maybe that was because Akaashi didn't like waking up before ten. It was honestly a miracle that their sleep schedules hadn't driven each other crazy.

“So, I don't want you to worry, but we may have another visitor today.”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow at Bokuto, wondering what in the world he was planning.

“And who is that?”

“My sister.”

Akaashi swore he could still feel the stinging of where she'd slapped him on the back the first time they met. She had a son now—he was one—but that hadn't made her any less… well, any less of a Bokuto. 

“Maybe she can give some advice,” Akaashi said hopefully. She was pretty much the only person they knew who actually had a kid. 

“Probably,” Bokuto said with a smile. He seemed to be waiting for Akaashi to say something, but Akaashi was stuck thinking about what to do to protect her.

Both Bokuto siblings were extremely sensitive to magic even though neither of them knew a single thing about it. Akaashi was already behind protecting Bokuto so adding one more to the mix was not ideal.

“I can ask her to wait if it's too much,” Bokuto broke in, making Akaashi aware that Bokuto had been acting unusually calm this morning.

“It's fine, I was just thinking about where she could sleep. Unless she's just coming for the day.”

“Don't worry about her, she can sleep on the couch. She isn't that old yet.”

“Kou, what's wrong?” Akaashi looked at Bokuto, who looked surprised before laughing. 

“You noticed?”

“You're pretty obvious.” 

“My parents also heard.” Akaashi would never understand how word spread so quickly. “They want to visit.”

“Yeah, they can go fuck themselves.”

“Keiji…”

“No, no 'Keiji,’ I mean it.” Akaashi crossed his arms. “They don't get to pick and choose when they do and don't want to be part of your life. Nana-san was there for you, they weren't and they can go fuck themselves.”

“They're my parents.”

“And? Parents who don't support you when you need help don't deserve any of your happiness.”

Akaashi was aware it no longer sounded like he was talking about Bokuto’s parents. But he still meant it. They’d failed Bokuto in so many ways. Their lack of action in the face of his mental health issues was the least of Akaashi’s problems with them and that was a big issue. 

“Keiji… I just don’t think I can let them go. You understand, right?”

“I–” Akaashi hadn’t told Bokuto that his parents had all but disowned him. How could he? There was no good way to explain why the adoption of Shouyou would make them hate him. Despite that, he decided to try. “I didn’t tell you but… My parents… When I said I’d adopt Shou-chan, they… They threw me out.” 

“What?” Bokuto blinked at Akaashi. “Why?”

“I don’t know,” Akaashi lied. “Maybe they wanted to be the ones to raise him? Maybe they’d just realized how much of a failure I am and they couldn’t watch me fail at raising a child?” 

Bokuto let go of Akaashi’s hand so he could stand and walk around the table to pull Akaashi into a tight hug, the younger man realizing belatedly that he was crying. His emotions had been so out of control lately and he needed to deal with them. 

“Keiji, you’re not a failure.”

“I am! I’ve failed everyone and next, I’m going to fail Shou-chan and you and all our friends. I’ve been a failure since I was born.” 

“Keiji, hey, listen, you’re not going to fail anyone.” 

Akaashi’s hands were shaking and his mind was fuzzy. He wasn’t sure where all this had come from, but like so much else since Shouyou had been put in his arms, he was ill prepared for it. He could feel the last protection charm on Bokuto and the dampening charm on him rapidly losing strength and if he didn’t get his emotions under control soon, Bokuto was going to join him in his breakdown. 

Before he met Bokuto he was so good at being stoic and not letting his emotions get the better of him and at the time he thought the change was a bad thing. Then he decided it was great. Now he realized maybe it was a mixed bag.

“I always wanted them to leave me alone and stay out of my life but then she told me I wasn’t welcome and shut the door in my face and I was so sad and scared and lost. It’s not fair. They shouldn’t get to make me feel this way!” 

“You’re right, they shouldn’t, but it’s also okay that they do.” Sometimes Bokuto knew exactly what to say to Akaashi and in this moment, his soft words eased Akaashi’s mind a little and he realized that he hadn’t really been breathing. “And if you’re a failure then so am I and that’s okay too.” 

Akaashi laughed a little at that, burying his face into the front of Bokuto’s shirt as he let himself cry.

“Why am I such a mess?”

“Don’ know,” Bokuto responded, his words sounding like a smile. “But we’re both one and we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.”

They stayed like that even after Akaashi regained his composure. It had been a long time since either of them had a complete breakdown but they hadn’t been under much stress until recently. It was only when Shouyou started to cry that they moved, both feeling refreshed despite the lingering tiredness of their bodies. 

While Bokuto disappeared to take care of Shouyou—he insisted Akaashi rest for a little while more—Akaashi thought about how much he loved his husband. 

\---

Akaashi best and final plan to protect both Bokuto siblings was to add charms to Shouyou and himself. A lot of charms. He made them while pretending to take a shower, sitting on the bathroom floor and whispering quiet charms as water ran in the background. Before he turned the water off he'd taken a few moments to wet his hair and then that was enough.

It did mean that he would probably not take a shower for a while yet which was disappointing but necessary.

With Shouyou and himself more thoroughly charmed, Bokuto and his sister would be much safer from their abilities.

Akaashi had just finished drying his hair when the doorbell rang. He didn’t usually dry his hair, but Bokuto had insisted, saying something about Akaashi catching a cold. Akaashi had obliged him even though he knew Bokuto just like how fluffy his hair got when he blow dried it. 

“I’ll get it,” Akaashi called to Bokuto, who was in the kitchen feeding Shouyou. 

Akaashi took a breath and opened the door, unsurprised to see a woman who looked strikingly like his husband. Or, maybe he should say Bokuto looked like his sister since she was the older of the two. 

Akaashi had been surprised when he learned that Bokuto’s hair wasn’t the result of him dying his hair and then being too lazy to re-dye it, but instead some strange genetic trait that no doctors could explain. Akaashi thought Kuroo’s observation that it was probably somehow related to magic in their bloodline was the most plausible to explain how someone’s hair could grow in black and, as it grew, turn white. 

Bokuto Nana was 31 and, somehow, taller than his brother by about a centimeter. Akaashi personally thought the reason Bokuto started to spike his hair up was so he wouldn’t look shorter than her. Her hair was medium length and messy, like always. She kept it all swept to one side, making the right side look shorter than the left. When she was younger she’d kept half of it shaved, but around the time Bokuto started junior high school, she opted for a more conservative appearance. It was much easier for school officials and doctors to take her seriously when she looked less like a teenager and more like a mother. 

Even with all that, she’d kept her pierced ears—she had four piercings in her exposed right ear and one in her usually hidden left ear—and never tried to dampen her loud personality. She’d gotten married when she was 26 and now had a son of her own, who’d turned one in September.

“Keiji!” Nana pulled Akaashi into a tight hug. “You look terrible!” 

“Nana-san, you’re going to crush me,” Akaashi told her, wondering how these two could have lived in the same house without the whole thing falling apart. 

“Come on, Keiji, call me Nana! Or big sis’!” 

On cue, Bokuto stuck his head out of the kitchen, a huge smile on his face. 

“Sis’!” 

“Bro’!” 

The two hugged, arm muscles flexing from both sides of the hug and Akaashi rolled his eyes. These two were competitive about the strangest things.

“Yo, tell your husband to stop calling me Nana-san. The only way I’d feel older is if he started calling me Bokuto-san.” 

“Well, I did try to call you Bokuto-san when we first met but you threatened to hit me if I kept it up,” Akaashi reminded her, making her laugh.

“I did, didn’t I?” She smirked at Akaashi. “Well, stop calling me Nana-san or I’ll hit you.”

“And deny Shou-chan one of his two parents? You wouldn’t dare.” Akaashi smirked back at her and she laughed again, stepping over to put an arm around his shoulder.

“That’s it, you’re Bro’ now too.”

“Won’t that be confusing?” 

“Fine, we’ll stick with Keiji.” She pouted a little. “Speaking of Shouyou! Where’s the kid?”

“Eating more than he should, I’m sure,” Akaashi told her with a look at Bokuto who looked sheepish. 

“What? He’s a growing boy, he needs to eat.”

“For once, my brother is correct. Keiji, you don’t have to worry about him eating too much.” 

Akaashi practically let out a sigh of relief as he realized how much stress would be lifted for his shoulders to have advice from a more experienced parent. Sure, her son wasn’t that much older than Shouyou, but he was still older, which was important. Being an older sister alone gave her experience Akaashi as an only child and Bokuto as the youngest just didn’t have. Add an actual baby into that equation and Akaashi was glad to have her here. Not that he wouldn’t have been happy to see her anyway. She loved Bokuto and she was the one who’d been there for him his whole life, which was something that Akaashi wished he could properly thank her for. Everyone deserved at least one person who was there for them. He’d had Kaori and Bokuto had had Nana.

“Shouyou!” Nana said as she entered the kitchen. “It’s your best aunt, Nana!”

“I’m pretty sure you’re his only aunt,” Bokuto pointed out, laughing as Shouyou looked at Nana with a confused look. He seemed to be trying to figure out when Bokuto’s hair had gotten so long. 

“Still the best,” Nana told him, picking up Shouyou and making him giggle. “I hope you know how lucky you are, Shouyou, you have two of the best parents in the world. I can’t wait to see who you’ll be.” 

“Akaashi?” Bokuto murmured to Akaashi as the other man rubbed discreetly at his eyes. “Are you okay?” 

Akaashi hadn’t meant to start crying but for some reason, Nana’s words to the baby hit him hard. Not just the faith she had in them as people and parents but also the lack of ulterior motives in her interest in Shouyou. 

“Yeah,” Akaashi told him, smiling widely at Bokuto. “I just… I can’t wait either.” 

\---

Bokuto and his sister ended up on the balcony as night was falling over the city, Akaashi and Shouyou both having fallen asleep early. Nana had put Shouyou to bed while Bokuto did the same for the exhausted Akaashi, wishing he could help Akaashi more than he was now. 

“Koutarou, how could you keep this a secret?” Nana asked, not looking at him. “You know you could have told me without them finding out about your plans?”

“I wasn’t keeping is a secret, I swear.” Bokuto insisted. “It was sort of a spur of the moment choice. Keiji’s brother died and left the baby in his care. It was actually really sudden.”

“Oh.” Nana felt like there was something about that story that wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t really say why she felt that way. “Well, he’s a cute baby.”

“Thanks. I love him.” 

“Almost as cute as you were as a baby,” Nana told him, smirking. “But you were just so chubby back then.”

“Sis,” Bokuto complained, leaning against his sister. “Don’t be mean.” 

“I’m not! You were so chubby and cute.” 

They laughed together, the sound of their laughs seemed like a set. Not an exact match, but two laughs that fit together perfectly. 

“What am I going to do about Mom and Dad?” Bokuto asked after their laughter ended. “I don’t want them to visit but they want to see Shouyou.”

“You know how I feel about you still talking to them.” 

“But you talk to them.”

“They didn’t stop taking care of me because it was a little hard. And the only reason I keep talking to them is that you’re still talking to them. I won’t let you get into any situation with them alone. I can’t support you if I’m not around.” She crossed her arms, a storm brewing behind her eyes. “I won’t abandon you. Never again.” 

“You didn’t abandon me.”

“I might as well have.” She shook her head, eyes closed. “When I came home and saw how many fights you’d gotten into– And everyone just kept saying it was your fault and didn’t even consider that maybe they failed you.” 

“Sis, you went to university. That’s not a crime. I chose to do what I did. Do you think you being home would have changed much?”

“If I was home, nobody would have laid a hand on you.” She spit, her anger not directed at Bokuto. “Especially not Tomoko.”

“She didn’t mean–”

“Fuck that!” She shouted, looking at Bokuto with fire in her eyes and in that moment, she reminded him a lot of Akaashi. “She’s supposed to be your mother!” 

After a moment of looking at Bokuto was hard eyes, Nana let her shoulders and face drop and she turned back to the cityscape. 

“I should have been there.” 

“I’m glad you’re here now.”

She nodded, smiling a little and the two of them stood in silence for a while longer. In their childhoods, silence hadn’t been common, but even then there was something about each other's presence that had quieted them down. It had quieted Bokuto’s mind just a little and if had quieted the anger Nana felt deep in her gut. Even now, at 26 and 31, they felt good in each other’s presence. They still, after everything, felt quiet in all the right ways. 

“I love you, bro.”

“I love you too, sis.”

And, despite all the chaos, everything felt a little bit better.


	8. I Was Never the Flashy Type

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo didn’t know how to feel about this ‘Akaashi’ character. 
> 
> He’d never met the man and was wary of the change in Bokuto’s presence since meeting him. Kuroo suspected there was something magical about Akaashi but he couldn’t be sure just yet. 
> 
> But, Akaashi seemed to make Bokuto happy and Kuroo liked when Bokuto was happy. He just hoped that things didn’t turn out poorly in the end because in the years they’d known each other, Kuroo had seen Bokuto through enough hardships. He was a bit of an idiot, but he didn’t deserve any more bullshit.

Kuroo could tell Bokuto wanted attention. He was being fidgety and kept giving him that look that meant he wanted Kuroo to ask what was wrong. Of course, Kuroo knew something was wrong from the moment he showed up at his and Kenma’s apartment seeming grumpy. That grumpiness had turned into sadness of some sort and soon Kuroo would have to deal with it. It wasn’t that he minded helping Bokuto out—they were friends after all—it was just that he really needed to finish this report tonight and lifting Bokuto out of whatever hole he’d dug for himself would probably make that impossible.

That said, Bokuto’s fidgetiness was starting to impede Kuroo’s progress enough that it was looking like it would be worth it to give up and deal with whatever was going on.

“What,” Kuroo finally said, closing his laptop to look at Bokuto, “is wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Bokuto grumbled but Kuroo waited, knowing he’d spill what was on his mind. Bokuto wasn’t very good at the whole ‘nothing’s wrong, don’t worry about me’ act. “It’s just that Akaashi’s been acting weird.”

And there is was.

“Weird?”

“He usually listens really well when I talk but lately he’s not been paying attention. And he forgets stuff sometimes. And yesterday he was late! He’s never late. Well, he is sometimes, but only in the morning ‘cause he sleeps in sometimes.”

Kuroo didn’t know how to feel about this ‘Akaashi’ character. He’d never met the man and was wary of the change in Bokuto’s presence since meeting him. Kuroo suspected there was something magical about Akaashi but he couldn’t be sure unless either he met the man or Kenma was able to sniff out the specific changes in Bokuto. But Kenma had been busy lately and either avoiding Bokuto—because his loud voice made it difficult to work—or he’d been asleep—he tended to work late at night and his work shifts were also night time shifts. If Kuroo didn’t meet Akaashi soon, he’d force Kenma to spend some time with Bokuto so he could get a reading on the changes in Bokuto’s magical signature.

“Maybe you just talk too much, bro.”

“Kuroo!” Bokuto whined as Kuroo smirked at him.

“I’m kidding, I’m sure it’s nothing.” As much as Kuroo didn’t trust Akaashi, Bokuto had talked about Akaashi fighting off the guys who always bothered him so Kuroo couldn’t dislike the stranger too much. “He’s probably just tired or something. People sometimes forget things.”

“But he’s never been like this!”

“You haven’t known him that long,” Kuroo pointed out. “Maybe he’s just been trying to impress you until now.”

“But what if something’s wrong?”

“Why don’t you ask him yourself instead of moping?”

“I’m not moping.” Bokuto pouted at Kuroo, looking distinctly like he was moping. “And I can’t just ask him! What if he thinks I’m too nosey and tells me to never talk to him again?”

Kuroo sighed, aware that Bokuto was falling back into a hole Kuroo had named the worst case scenario hole. Usually, it was reserved for when Bokuto was doing poorly in class, but now it seemed that he’d been imagining all the reasons Akaashi probably hates him.

Kuroo doubted the man hated Bokuto, but if Bokuto’s story was to be believed—and Kuroo knew how bad of a liar Bokuto was—then Bokuto had basically coerced Akaashi into spending time with him. He hadn’t done it on purpose, but Kuroo was pretty sure Akaashi felt he had to spend time with Bokuto.

“I seriously doubt that would happen.”

“But it might.” Bokuto groaned dramatically and laid down on the couch, plopping his feet into Kuroo’s lap. “What could be wrong?”

Giving up, Kuroo shrugged. “Based on what you’ve told me, it doesn’t really sound like he wants to spend time with you. It sounds more like he has to to make sure you don’t fall off a cliff or get your lunch money stolen.”

“You really think so?” Bokuto asked, opening his eyes to look at Kuroo. His eyes looked like it was the end of the world and Kuroo realized he’d miscalculated and made things worse. In his defense, he was really tired.

“Bokuto–”

“That’s it! I’m going to call Akaashi right now and set him free!” Bokuto said, standing and pulling out his phone dramatically. “It’s not fair that someone so great is being held down by me!”

“Woah, slow down.” Kuroo shot up and grabbed Bokuto’s phone. “No need for the dramatics.”

“But, Kuroo-kun, what should I do?” Bokuto asked, looked at Kuroo with pleading eyes.

“How about this,” Kuroo had a plan, “let’s all go out together? Without seeing it in person, I can’t really help you. I’ll meet your friend and tell you if I think he hates you.”

“You’d really do that?”

“Of course, dude, what’re friends for?”

“Oh, thank you!” Bokuto shouted, pulling Kuroo into a crushing hug. “I’ll call Akaashi right now! When are you free?”

Kuroo smiled, glad Bokuto was back to being happy. He was happy too, happy to finally be able to meet this mysterious young man that had so enchanted his friend. He just hoped that things didn’t turn out poorly in the end because in the years they’d known each other, Kuroo had seen Bokuto through enough hardships. He was a bit of an idiot, but he didn’t deserve any more bullshit.

\---

Akaashi felt stupid. He felt like he was in over his head. In what, he wasn't sure, but based on the way Oikawa and Sugawara were acting, he was pretty sure it wasn't what he needed right now.

“That's too tight,” Sugawara told Oikawa.

They'd taken it upon themselves to pick out Akaashi's wardrobe to meet Bokuto's friend. Akaashi had insisted it wasn't necessary in any way but these two rarely listened.

When they realized Akaashi's wardrobe wasn't to their standards, they'd forced him back to Oikawa’s apartment since they wore the same size clothes.

“I agree with–” Akaashi tried to say, but neither one seemed interested in his opinion.

“He's meeting Taro-chan’s friend, not his parents.”

“He's not trying to seduce his friend either.” Sugawara pointed at the outfit he'd picked out. “He is trying to impress him.”

“I'm really not–”

“This is about showing he means business.”

“I'm not sure what you're talk–”

“Akaashi-kun wouldn't wear that, it'll look like he's trying too hard.”

“Hey, could you–”

“Well, Aka-chan needs to get out of his comfort zone once in a while.”

“Hey!” Akaashi shouted, finally get the other two’s attention. “Do I get a say in this?”

Sugawara and Oikawa looked at each other then at Akaashi, responding at the same time.

“No.”

With a groan, Akaashi sat down in an armchair, holding his temples in his hand. He was pretty sure he was getting a headache.

“Both the outfits suck, by the way,” Akaashi grumbled, wishing these two had never learned about him meeting Bokuto's friend for lunch.

If he had his way, they would never have known, but they'd both been at the shop—bothering him like usual—when Bokuto came to ask Akaashi if he was free the next week. He'd told Akaashi he was just going to text but wanted to ask him in person. Even Akaashi could hear how much that sounded like Bokuto was asking him out. But as he told Sugawara and Oikawa, it wasn't a date and Bokuto was just sometimes an idiot when it came to phrasing.

I mean, who went on a date with their friend there?

“Just because your style is ‘wife in mourning’ doesn't mean our styles suck,” Oikawa told him. “And I'll have you know, I'm a master of getting men to look at me.”

“I don't want men to look at me,” Akaashi said through his hands. “I just want to be left alone.”

“Then why'd you agree to this?” Sugawara asked, once again finding himself worried about the younger man.

“I don't know.”

“Why do you still hang out with Bokuto?”

“I don't know.”

“What'll you do if he asks you out?”

“I don't know!” Akaashi shouted, both men feeling a bit of sudden anger and fear as Akaashi lost control of his ability and his dampening charm was broken. With a sigh, he went back to cradling his face in his hands. “I'm sorry.”

“You don't need to apologize,” Sugawara said, stepping over to put a hand on Akaashi's shoulder, looking at Oikawa to help out. “Akaashi-kun, you know you can talk to us, right?”

“It's not as simple as you two make it out to be,” Akaashi said, glaring at both of them as he picked up his head. There was very little malice in the glare, though. Or there was malice but it was obviously not directed at Sugawara and Oikawa.

“What isn't?” Oikawa asked. “Talking to us or all the stuff work Taro-chan?”

“I can't just throw out my plans and go running into the sunset with some Mode, no matter how much I like spending time with him.”

“Akaashi-kun…” Sugawara seemed uncertain of what to say. “Are they your plans or plans for you?”

Akaashi didn't answer for almost a minute, then he stood and shook off Sugawara's hand.

“I'm going to be late.”

He left before either man could argue because if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was run away.

\---

“You're going to love him, trust me,” Bokuto told Akaashi as they waited for his friend. “I hope you don't mind that our other friend is coming along. He tends to overwork himself so Kuroo-kun wanted to get him out of their apartment.”

“They live together?”

“Sure. They've been friends since they were babies. I think they were neighbors. I know their moms are good friends. Sometimes they both come to visit and let me go out with them. Both their moms are so nice.”

“What're their names. Your friends, I mean.”

“I didn't tell you?” Akaashi shook his head and Bokuto laughed. He seemed more hyper than usual today and Akaashi was wondering if he was nervous or excited. “Kuroo and Kenma. Kuroo is tall and Kenma’s a bit shorter. Also, his hair is like half dyed.”

“Like yours?” Akaashi asked.

“Mine?” Bokuto blinked then laughed. “Oh! My hair isn't dyed. This runs in the family.”

“But you have roots?” Akaashi's narrowed his eyes at Bokuto, wondering if he was screwing with him. But, no, Bokuto was a terrible liar.

“Nobody knows why our hair is like this but everyone on my mom's side looks like this. My sister has the same thing and for a while, she would dye her hair black. In junior high school, I got in trouble because they thought I was dying my hair until my sister came in to tell them off.”

Akaashi wanted to ask why that job had fallen to Bokuto's sister, but he was pretty sure he could think of a few reasons why and now wasn't really the time to bring them up.

“There they are,” Bokuto smiled, waving his arms as if he wasn't already the most noticeable person in the cafe. “Hey! Kuroo-kun! Kenma-kun!”

“Bokuto-kun, shut up,” Kuroo said as he walked over to the table, his eyes glued to Akaashi. “You're going to get us kicked out before we even sit down.”

“Oops, sorry.” Bokuto laughed.

“I'm Kuroo Tetsurou,” Kuroo said, smiling at Akaashi. “And this is Kozume Kenma.”

“Nice to meet you, Kuroo-san, Kozume-san.” He nodded at them. “I'm Akaashi Keiji.”

"Kenma, is fine," Kenma told him. "Nobody calls me Kozume."

"And there's no need for so much formality," Kuroo said with a smile, though it was a little too mischievious for Akaashi to trust. Not to mention the fact that Akaashi's theories had been proved correct.

As they stared at each other, Kuroo and Akaashi both had the same thought.

_“I knew it.”_

Akaashi could sense at least four charms on Kuroo—a ring, a necklace, a bracelet, and one hidden by his shirt that Akaashi guessed was a tattoo based on it’s similar placement to one of Kenma’s charms—and five on Kenma—two bracelets, a pair of glasses he wasn’t wearing currently, a necklace, and the hidden charm that matched with Kuroo. Akaashi couldn’t really sense anything other than charms and a general sense of magic, but that was enough to tell him these people had to be pretty magical. No Mode wore that many charms. All the Modes Akaashi had met who wore charms—that was a small number but the point still stood—wore three charms max. One to protect their body, one to protect their mind, and one to protect their spirit.

“Nice to meet you too.” They both sat across from Akaashi and Bokuto. Kenma sat across from Akaashi, looking him over with eyes that Akaashi didn’t like. Initially, he’d expected Kuroo to be the scariest of the two, but Kenma was obviously the one doing the analysis. Suddenly Akaashi wished Sugawara was here to tell him what these two’s abilities were and tell him more about the two.

“So,” Akaashi started, trying to pretend he wasn’t disconcerted by Bokuto’s two friends. “How did you meet Bokuto-san?”

“He hasn’t told you?”

“He hadn’t told me much about you, to be honest.”

When Kuroo gave Bokuto a look, he only shrugged. “I guess I forgot.”

“We met in high school,” Kuroo explained. “We all played volleyball.”

“Oh. Do you play on Bokuto-san’s team now?” Akaashi hadn’t heard much about Bokuto’s college team despite him having talked about volleyball for at least half the time they’d known each other.

“No, I wanted to focus on my studies,” Kuroo smirked at Akaashi. “Why? You interested in volleyball players? I’ve been told I’m fun to play with.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes, trying to mask his discomfort as he fidgeted with his ring. Kenma glared at Kuroo, making him smile apologetically around the table.

“Sorry, I was just joking.”

“Your jokes are not very good,” Bokuto grumbled, looking grumpy.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Akaashi said as he stood suddenly. Not only had Kuroo made him uncomfortable but he’d also realized why Kuroo had done that.

Akaashi had just come to the realization that no matter what was actually going on between him and Bokuto, just about everyone else in the world thought they were at least on the road to being a couple.

“Oh,” Bokuto watched Akaashi go, looking worried before turning to glare at Kuroo. “You always do this!”

“Bo, you know I was kidding!”

“It’s the end for me,” Bokuto sighed dramatically and put his face down on the table. “Leave me here. When I die, give my owl statues back to Akaashi for me.”

Kuroo looked at Kenma but he shrugged, not feeling in the mood to help Kuroo out of the shit he’d gotten himself into by being an asshole again. Kenma did love him, but sometimes he considered whether or not that was a good thing.

“I’ll go apologize,” Kuroo said, standing. He’d wanted to talk to Akaashi anyway, so this was a good opportunity.

\---

Akaashi splashed water on his face, trying to stop the tide of panic trying to overtake him. He couldn’t date a Mode. He honestly shouldn’t be friends with one. Hell, he shouldn’t even be friends with Sugawara and Oikawa, especially Sugawara.

The Mode next to him looked as uneasy as Akaashi felt and Akaashi nearly apologized before he remembered that an apology wouldn’t make much sense now. Only he knew that the stranger’s discomfort was his fault, his anxiety leaking little by little through his walls.

He hated the fact that his emotions could so easily break his dampening charms, but he could only make charms as powerful as he was and when his emotions got out of control, his empathic projection had access to the same amount of energy his charms did. If someone more powerful than him made the charm, it might stand a chance against Akaashi’s projections but that was easier said than done.

Instead, he’d just learned how to control his emotions—or, really, he learned how to shove his emotions down deep into his subconscious—and he needed to regain that control soon. Lately, he’d been more out of control than he’d been since his ability first manifested and he needed to stop letting his emotions do this.

The Mode slipped out of the bathroom but the door didn’t shut at the right time, signaling someone else had stepped into the bathroom. Akaashi could tell who it was without turning around, their four charms feeling like a flame at his back.

“Akaashi-san, sorry about out there. I really wasn’t trying to make you so uncomfortable. Mostly I was messing with Bo.”

Akaashi took a few quick breaths then stood, grabbing paper towels to dry off his face before he turned to look at Kuroo, who looked genuinely apologetic even if he also looked like the apology wasn’t his only reason in the bathroom.

“It’s no problem, Kuroo-san.” Akaashi took careful breaths in between his words, praying to keep calm for now. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Can I talk frankly?” Kuroo asked, taking a half step towards Akaashi before turning and locking the bathroom door, ensuring they wouldn’t be interrupted.

“Please do.”

“You’re a magic.”

“Good read.”

“You’re the reason Bo’s magic has felt different lately.”

“Bokuto-san is a Mode.”

“I’m sure you’ve realized by now that he’d a sensitive.” Akaashi hadn’t known for sure, but he’d guessed as much. “And he has a huge magical reservoir. I’d never seen one like it in a Mode until I met him. Then I met his sister and she has the same thing. I think somehow there is magic in his line, probably far back. Somehow it’s turned off its outward projection.”

“I don’t really care about your theories,” Akaashi interrupted. “Bokuto-san is Bokuto-san and there isn’t much else I need to know about him.”

Kuroo blinked at Akaashi, not expecting such straightforwardness. In Kuroo’s defense, Akaashi wasn’t often this forward but right now he was having a hard time keeping his ability in check so he couldn’t be expected to hold his tongue too.

“Oh, well that’s fine then.” Kuroo took a few steps towards Akaashi but Akaashi didn’t stand down, instead allowing Kuroo to get into his personal space, a look of defiance on Akaashi’s face. Kuroo just smirked at him. “What exactly do you want with him? What’s your plan? I don’t know a lot of Magics who appear out of thin air, swoop a sensitive off their feet, and then have good plans for said sensitive.”

“First,” Akaashi said, taking a step forward and forcing Kuroo backward. “I didn’t appear out of thin air. Just because we didn’t know each other doesn’t mean I didn’t exist. Second,” Another step. “I didn’t sweep anyone off their feet. I sold Bokuto-san an owl statue, that’s all. Last,” One more step and now Kuroo was up against the wall and feeling like maybe he’d underestimated Akaashi. The man had quite the presence when he was angry. “I don’t have any ‘plans’ for Bokuto-san, good or bad. I just like spending time with him so get off my back, Kuroo-san.”

Akaashi reached around Kuroo and unlocked the door before shoving passed Kuroo to head back to their table. After a few minutes of blinking at his surprised reflection, Kuroo burst out laughing because, honestly, that was so much more honesty than he expected. And it had all turned out better than expected.

He’d wanted to thank Akaashi for helping Bokuto out but it looked like that would have to wait. Either way, though, Kuroo was pretty sure Akaashi would be around for a while yet.

\---

Akaashi looked down at his phone at nearly the same time as Bokuto did.

_From Stupid Rooster Head: Yo, I didn’t get to say anything but you’ve got nothing to worry about. Akaashi doesn’t hate you at all._

_From Kuroo Tetsurou: I forgot to thank you for helping Bokuto with those snake assholes._

_To Stupid Rooster Head: But then what’s wrong with Akaashi???????????????_

_To Kuroo Tetsurou: His black eye was my fault, I had to do something._

_From Stupid Rooster Head: No clue. Just ask him you idiot, he’s not going to leave._

_From Kuroo Tetsurou: The thank you still stands._

Both parties sighed, putting their phones away without responding. Akaashi went back to reading his book but Bokuto didn’t go back to the homework he was supposed to be doing—and which Akaashi was semi-reluctantly helping him with—instead looking at Akaashi.

Akaashi no longer seemed as agitated as at lunch, but Bokuto was still pretty sure something was wrong.

“Akaashi?”

“What?” Akaashi looked up from his book. “Did you get stuck?”

“No… It’s just… I was thinking… Actually, it’s dumb…”

“Bokuto-san, just ask,” Akaashi told him, putting down his book.

Bokuto laughed unconvincingly. “It’s nothing! Never mind!”

“Bokuto-san, you can’t lie. You’re terrible at it.”

“Well, you seem sorta down so I was wondering if you wanted a hug?”

“Huh?” Akaashi blinked at Bokuto, who was fidgeting with a piece of his hair.

“Well, when I’m down I usually feel better when I hug someone and so I thought maybe I could help you out with whatever by giving you a hug.” Bokuto looked worriedly at Akaashi. “Are you angry?”

Akaashi smiled at Bokuto, “No, Bokuto-san, I’m not angry. I’ll pass on the hug though.”

“Are you alright? I know Kuroo-kun can be an idiot sometimes but he means no harm, I swear.”

“I know,” Akaashi picked his book back up but his full attention was still on Bokuto. “He really didn’t bother me that much, it was just on top of everything else.”

“Oh… can I…? What’s wrong then?” Bokuto paused then added, “Is it me?”

Akaashi looked up from the book again, looking genuinely confused in a way that put Bokuto at ease just a little.

“No, it’s not you… It’s… It’s family stuff.”

“Oh,” Bokuto nodded, looking back at his homework. “I understand.”

And by his tone, Akaash could tell that he did. There were things about each other they didn’t know but in that moment it was all so close to the surface that Akaashi was sure it was moments away from spilling out. But he wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Thanks for worrying, Bokuto-san.” Akaashi smiled at Bokuto again, watching fondly as he worked through his homework despite how much he was having obvious trouble concentrating on it. “Thank you.”

“Anytime…” Bokuto paused before looking up at Akaashi frantically. “Or not anytime! I don’t want to have to worry. I just mean, I’ll worry if you’re upset anytime but I don’t want you to be upset—”

Akaashi cut him off with a laugh that bubbled up from somewhere he didn’t even know about. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed—really, truly laughed—but suddenly there was laughter in his throat and he couldn’t stop and when Bokuto’s shock wore off he joined in too and Akaashi thought that despite the pain in his abs, this was the best feeling in the world.

\---

“What’s your read on him?” Kuroo asked Kenma as they laid in bed together, Kenma curled up against Kuroo while they both pretended to try and sleep.

“His ability is weak, but I think he has one. I couldn’t pinpoint it, though. I think he keeps it hidden for some reason. When he got up to go to the bathroom I think I felt the edge of it but… I couldn't quite get it.” Kuroo could listen to Kenma talk about the feeling of magic for hours. Well, he could listen to Kenma talk about anything for hours, but that was a different story. “I don’t completely recognize his signature, but part of that is because of whatever dampening he uses. I think if I met him again, I might be able to pinpoint it. But his home sect isn’t from this area, he’s an outsider.”

“Do you have any clues?”

“No, he was hiding himself well.”

“What do you think about Bo’s concerns?”

“That Akaashi-kun hates him?”

“No, that something is wrong with him.”

“Well…” Kenma thought for a bit. “I felt something fearful about him. Not afraid of you or Bokuto-san or me even if there was a little of that. He’s worried and afraid, but it’s something else. I don’t know what. I think it’s more than one thing.”

“He’s afraid…” Kuroo didn’t know what to make of that so he just shook his head. “I guess it doesn’t matter, he seems to be genuinely interested in Bo.”

“I did get one thing from him. A name that kept repeating over and over.”

“Really?”

“Yeah…”

“What was the name?”

“Ishiko Hana.”

Kuroo didn't know the name and he found he was too tired to think of any reasons for Akaashi to be thinking non-stop about this person.

“I think,” Kuroo said with a sudden yawn. “That this is a mystery for another day.”

“I agree,” Kenma said, pushing closer to Kuroo’s body in the hopes that his magic would drown out all the noise around them. Like usual, it only half worked. “Tetsu?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Kuroo smiled to himself, taking a moment to breathe in Kenma’s smell before he responded.

“I love you too, Kenma."


	9. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was four in the morning when Akaashi received the text.
> 
>  
> 
> _From Suga: Don't panic_

Four months passed in a blur of work and taking care of Shouyou and making charms. Bokuto’s volleyball team lost their minds the first time they met the baby and had already nearly doubled Shouyou’s wardrobe and toy collection. Shouyou seemed to love the attention and didn’t mind the noise at all. Actually, he seemed to love noise and he was usually the one making noise. 

Akaashi was glad for his friends, who all took turns watching Shouyou when they couldn’t. Shouyou loved Kenma and like to pull his hair, which Kenma surprisingly didn’t seem to mind. Akaashi hadn’t seen Kenma smile much in their time as friends, but Shouyou always seemed to put a smile on his face. 

Sugawara and Daichi also did a lot to take care of Shouyou. They both had jobs with flexible hours and they insisted they take care of Shouyou whenever possible. The boy liked them both and the more time he spent with the two, the more his sounds turned into bird-like squawks that Akaashi was convinced Sugawara was teaching him specifically to drive Akaashi a little crazy. 

But things had settled down as much as they could when a baby was involved and Akaashi felt more comfortable taking care of Shouyou even if he had no clue what he was doing most of the time. 

The text came in while Akaashi was rocking Shouyou to try and get him back to sleep. It was 4 in the morning and Akaashi just wanted him to sleep for a few more hours, but the baby seemed insistent on shouting random half-word sounds as loud as he could. He was close to real words and with his first birthday rapidly approaching, Akaashi guessed those first words would be coming soon. 

_From Suga: Don't panic_

Not a great start.

_From Suga: But I need to talk to you asap_

_From Suga: Preferably at my place_

_To Suga: What's wrong? It's 4am?_

_From Suga: It's a lot to explain on the phone but it's the crows. They've called me to a meeting. They mentioned you. I'm really worried._

Akaashi felt a little cold at the mention of the Crow Sect. 

They were getting better. The people who were in power when Sugawara had fled were gone. But, it was still hard to trust them. They’d never physically harmed Sugawara, but they hurt him in ways that nobody could ever make up for. 

It hurt to lose family. It hurt more when it was your twin sister.

_To Suga: I’ll be right over. I just need to hand off Shou-chan to Kou._

_From Suga: Thanks_

_From Suga: I think they know about Shou-chan_

If Akaashi hadn’t already been afraid—and he had been—he was now. Whatever was going on, it couldn’t be good but you could bet that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to Shouyou or Sugawara. 

\---

Akaashi knocked quietly on the door and it opened quickly, revealing a tired looking Sugawara. 

“Suga-san?”

“Come in,” He stepped away from the door and Akaashi entered, following him to the living room. “Do you want some tea?”

“I want you to tell me what’s happening?”

“Of course,” Sugawara said, sighing. “I’ve been called into an official meeting by the council. They said they knew I was friends with Akaashi Keiji and that they had some questions they wanted to ask me because of that. They wouldn’t say anything else.” 

“What are you going to do?”

“I have to go.” Sugawara shook his head. “I don’t want to go but I have to. God, what if they know about Shou-chan? What if they’re afraid of him too?”

“They must know we’re friends. They wouldn’t have told you that the talk was about me if they were planning to hurt me or Shou-chan.” At least that’s what Akaashi hoped. “I don’t trust them either but I think it’ll be okay.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Sugawara looked uncertain for a second, then he continued. “And I have a huge favor to ask you.”

“What?”

“Come with me.”

“What?” Akaashi looked bewildered. “Go with you?”

“There are no Magics I trust more than you and Oikawa-kun,” Sugawara told him. “And there’s nobody I’d rather be with me on my way there. You don’t have to go as yourself. You could be Oikawa or Daichi or Bokuto for all I care, they don’t know you or anyone else well enough to know the difference. But I need someone to come with me who I can trust and who knows what Magics are capable of. I’m glad Oikawa-kun didn’t have to go through the same bullshit we did but… well, I know you understand better than anyone else what it’s like to be from a Sect you can’t trust.”

“Yeah.” Akaashi agreed, though he didn’t quite know how to process being told that he was one of the two Magics he truly trusted. “But what can I do? I’m not exactly a strong Magic. I wouldn’t be much protection.”

“What are you talking about?” Sugawara shook his head. “You’re a powerful Magic, Akaashi. The people who told you that you weren’t just didn’t understand that power comes in many kinds. You don’t have to control fire or be able to see the future to be powerful. You’re the best charmer I know and that counts for a lot.”

“Thanks, Suga-san.” Akaashi smiled at his hands. “Sorry for making you cheer me up again.”

Sugawara pouted, punching Akaashi in the arm harder than was necessary. When Akaashi yelped in pain, Sugawara just smiled at him. 

“You don’t have to apologize. Someone has to keep your spirits up.”

“Well, thank you.”

“You’re basically Oikawa and my’s little brother, so we have to watch out for you.” Sugawara’s smile faded a little. “And if you have to say no to my request, I understand. I can get someone else to go with me but I needed to ask you first.”

“Let me talk to Kou.” Akaashi bit his lip. “But… if I can, I’ll go.”

“Thank you,” Sugawara said quietly, reaching over to pull Akaashi into a tight hug that Akaash accepted easily. “Thank you so much.”

\---

The Crow Sect’s main headquarters was a lot like the Owl’s Sect’s. While the Cat and Castle Sects were placed within the bounds of Mode communities and—in the case of the Cats—cities, the Crows and Owls were their own communities. Akaashi had legitimately never interacted with a Mode until he moved to the city at 19. If you’d asked him at 18 if he thought he’d even befriend a Mode, 18-year-old Akaashi probably would have rolled his eyes and asked you politely to leave him alone. 

The Crow Sect wasn’t quite as isolated as the Owls, with a Mode town within walking distance, but the two communities rarely mingled. The occasional Magic—usually teenagers—would apparently wander into town—usually to mess with Modes—and other than that, the two communities stayed separate. The Modes thought the Magics—not that they knew they were Magics—were weird and the Magic—much like in the Owl Sect—didn’t think much of Modes. 

But, things were changing in the Crow Sect and apparently there had recently been some moves to kindle a friendship between the two towns. After the last leaders were usurped three years earlier, a lot of things had changed. The Sugawara family had gotten the apology they were never given and Sugawara was able to reenter the sect without fear. 

“This is a nice place,” Akaashi commented as they walked through town, a handful of people stopping to look at them with suspicion in their eyes. “Why do people keep staring at us?”

“The Crow Sect has a lot of people like me who can sense magic so they can probably tell you’re not a crow. They probably can’t tell what you are, though, so you should be fine. Most people here only know the magical signature of the Castle and Cat Sects. Some people can sense more from the area, like the Swan Sect, but even that isn’t common.”

“Are we going straight to the meeting?” 

“I didn’t really think you wanted to meet my parents like this is some sort of date,” Sugawara said, chuckling. 

“I’m sure your parents a lovely.”

“They are,” Sugawara said, his smile wistful and soft. “You wouldn’t mind stopping there first? We have a little time before we have to go into the meeting and I’d rather not spend it in the office.”

“That’s fine, I’d love to meet your parents.” Sugawara turned them down a side street and Akaashi smiled at how much calmed Sugawara was than Akaashi had expected him to be. “Tell me about them.”

“Their names are Ichirou and Riho. My dad is the youngest of five but he’s the first and only son so they named him Ichirou. My mom is an only child and her family is from outside the Crows. She’s where I get my hair. And pretty much my everything,” Sugawara laughed. “We look really similar.” 

Sugawara stopped talking, looking a little sad, and Akaashi let him be silent. He could imagine where his mind had gone and he wasn’t sure what he could say. After a few minutes of silence, they turned onto another, smaller road and Sugawara’s eyes caught sight of someone doing yard work a few houses away.

“Asahi!” Sugawara shouted, taking off running towards the man, who stood and blinked at Sugawara before finally smiling.

“Suga, I didn’t expect to see you.” The man was tall but seemed friendly and maybe a little shy. 

“They called me back for a meeting. I don’t know what it’s about.” He frowned but then forced a smile, gesturing to Akaashi as he caught up with Sugawara. “I brought my friend, just in case.”

“I’m Asahi Azumane,” Asahi smiled at Akaashi and he felt at ease, but he still wasn’t about to give this man his real name. He had no idea why Sugawara was called here and he couldn’t trust anyone. 

“Nice to meet you, Asahi-san. I’m Onaga Wataru.” 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you too.” Asahi looked at Sugawara worriedly. “They didn’t tell you anything?”

“No.”

“Hmm…”

“Yeah.”

“Well, you know what to do it anything happens.”

Sugawara smiled at his old friend, reaching up to finger the necklace he always wore. Akaashi knew it was charmed item and he’d worn it for years, but Akaashi had never asked what the charm was. It never felt like it was his place to ask. Now he was more curious than ever. 

“Look like heaven and give ‘em hell.”

\---

“Onaga-kun, you’re too skinny, you need to eat more!” 

Akaashi hadn’t expected Sugawara’s parents to be so intent on feeding them both, but they’d been here for a whole forty-five minutes and Akaashi was pretty sure they’d been fed a seven-course meal. On top of that, Sugawara Riho was still trying to get Akaashi to eat more.

“Thank you so much, Sugawara-san, but I really can’t eat anything else.”

“Koushi, tell your friend to eat more.”

“Mom, you’re going to kill him,” Sugawara said through a snicker. “A– Wataru-kun can’t eat as much as us.” 

“Well, that’s why Onaga-san is so skinny.” Riho looked at Akaashi closely and he felt a little afraid but in a good kind of way. It was the same fear he felt when Nana visited or when Akaashi went over to Kaori’s house growing up. Even seeing the Suzumeda family interact, sometimes Akaashi forgot what a normal household looked like. “He needs to eat more.”

“Mom, you've already gotten him to eat plenty. I'm not sure I've seen him eat this much at once.”

“Fine, but next time you two visit you better be ready to eat more.”

“Oh, umm, okay,” Akaashi responded, surprised that Riho would assume he'd be back.

Sugawara really did look just like his mother. They had the same uncommon hair and the same warm eyes. She smiled with her whole body like he did and was aggressively kind. The beauty mark, though, was all Sugawara Koushi. 

Their house was so much like Sugawara and Sawamura’s. Warm and inviting but also a place where Akaashi expected some hard truths to be explored. There was an undercurrent of loss that changed the way everyone acted. That didn't mean that they were negative or sad, it was just different than the average household. It seemed the Sugawara's had mastered the art of using loss to remind themselves of how little time everyone had.

While Sugawara and his mother were washing dishes, Akaashi found his way to the family’s butsudan, Sugawara's sister the only person there. He wasn't sure if they'd be offended by him paying his respects, but he guessed that was a stupid thing to worry about.

The picture on the butsudan was of a happy girl of about 16 or so. She was smiling brightly and looked so much like her mother and brother that it was hard to tell the difference between the three. Her hair was medium in length—shorter than her mother's but longer than her brother's—and was the same ashy color as most of the Sugawara family.

Akaashi didn't know that much about her because even now, Sugawara didn't talk about her often. She was his twin and his best friend and it still hurt him to talk about her, especially in the past tense.

They'd been quite the pair. One was considered weak and his ability was looked down on because if it's commonality. The other was considered strong and her ability was coveted. She was used and so was he, though he was used to use her. Foresight was a powerful gift and many tried to exploit it. It never ended well, though. When you cornered someone you couldn't be sure what they'd do and there were only so many times Koushi could be threatened before his sister wasn't going to take any more.

“She was the best of us.” Akaashi started at the voice, surprised to find Sugawara Ichirou standing in the entrance to the room.

Ichirou wasn't an intimidating man. He was on the short side, though he wasn't that much shorter than average. His light brown hair would have been strange if the rest of his family didn't have even stranger colored hair. His skin was darker than his son and wife's and so were his eyes. He was a nice man but much quieter than the other two members of his family. There was something sad about him that the other two didn't share, as if he'd never figured out how to continue living without his daughter.

“Koushi has told you about her?”

“A little,” Akaashi responded. “And the rest… well, my Sect has done things I'm not proud of.”

“Who are you really?” Akaashi was taken aback by the question. “You're close to Koushi but he's never mentioned you. I don't believe that he'd never tell us about you.”

“It's dangerous to be someone of interest,” Akaashi told him cryptically. “And I may be of interest, we don't know.”

“As you might imagine, we don't gossip to the higher-ups in this family.”

Akaashi looked back at Sugawara's sister, then at Ichirou.

“My name's Akaashi Keiji.”

He nodded. “Well, Akaashi-kun, thank you for taking care of Koushi.”

“I really haven't,” Akaashi admitted. “He's always been the one taking care of me.”

“I think it goes both ways,” Ichirou said with a shrug. “But what do I know?”

Before Akaashi could respond, Ichirou nodded to him and left, leaving Akaashi alone once again.

\---

The building where the meeting would take place was not all that imposing, but Akaashi still felt intimidated.

“The man who called me in is Ukai Keishin, the grandson of the man who got rid of the old guard, Ukai Ikkei. Not long after, Ukai Ikkei had a heart attack and Ukai Keishin was asked to take over.”

“Ukai Keishin-san sounds trustworthy,” Akaashi said truthfully.

“I'd like to think so but there is one problem.”

“Huh?”

“The man who was the former leader of the Crow Sect was Ukai Keishin’s father.”

“Oh,” was all Akaashi could think to respond.

“I think we can trust Ukai-san, but…”

“Don't worry, I understand.” 

This wasn't what Akaashi had expected but he thought there was a good chance things would be alright. This Keishin guy wouldn't have inherited the older Ukai’s position if the older man didn't trust him. At least, that was what Akaashi hoped.

The inside of the building was even less impressive than the outside, which was refreshing for Akaashi. The Owl Sect had too much frill and cared too much about appearances for Akaashi's taste.

“Suga, it's good to see you.” The secretary—a woman around their age with long black hair and glasses—said as they finished climbing three flights of stairs to reach Ukai's office. “You can go in.”

“It's good to see you too, Kiyoko. This is my friend, Onaga Wataru.”

Kiyoko looked at Akaashi for a long time before turning to look at Sugawara, who held her gaze for a while. After almost two minutes of silence, Kiyoko nodded and looked back at her computer. 

“Like I said, go in.”

“Thanks.” 

Akaashi wanted to ask what happened but there was no time so he decided to just wait. It seemed like there was a lot of something going on with Sugawara and his friends that he hadn’t told Akaashi about. Asahi’s comments about what to do if something went wrong. Kiyoko’s knowing look. 

“Ukai-san,” Sugawara said as the door opened, revealing a much younger man than Akaashi expected. 

He wasn’t sure why he’d been expecting someone in his fifties or sixties, but he had. Instead, he was met with a man in his thirties. He couldn’t say exactly how old he was, but he couldn’t be any older than forty, so Akaashi guessed late thirties. He had dark brown hair that was kept up in a messy ponytail so that Akaashi could see he had multiple piercings in his ears. He was smoking a cigarette but when he saw Sugawara and Akaashi, he rushed to put it out.

“You really shouldn’t smoke,” Sugawara told him. “And I’m pretty sure Kiyoko doesn’t like you smoking in the office.”

“Well, what can I say?” The man asked with a smile and a gruff voice. “I don’t want to walk outside.” 

“Maybe you could just stop then.”

Ukai shrugged. “When you get to my age, you don’t just stop. Why don’t you two sit?”

“You’re not that old,” Sugawara countered, taking a seat and gesturing for Akaashi to sit too. “By the way, this is the friend I asked to bring.”

“I understand why you were hesitant to come alone,” Ukai told Sugawara honestly. “And I’m glad to meet your friend. I don’t think I caught your name.”

“Onaga Wataru.” Akaashi bowed his head slightly. “From the Owl Sect.” 

“The Owl Sect?” Ukai seemed impressed if not a little surprised. “I didn’t think you left your roost.”

“Most don’t. But some do. I believe you know Akaashi Keiji.” It was weird talking in the third person, but Akaashi wanted to know what Ukai knew. 

“Know is a strong word. We heard rumors of an owl kid born recently with life perception. And we heard that some owl named Akaashi Keiji took him in.” Ukai looked at Sugawara. “And we’ve heard you know him.” 

“I do.” Sugawara allowed. “What do you want?”

“I want you to contact him for me,” Ukai said, looking tired. “We need to ask him a favor.”

“If you want him to hurt Shou-chan–” Sugawara started, seemed to puff out a little in protective anger. 

“Woah, woah, woah.” Ukai waved his hands around a bit, interrupting Sugawara. “Who said anything about hurting… Shou-chan? I’m guessing that’s the baby.” Sugawara nodded slowly, still looking wary. Akaashi found he wasn’t sure how to feel, his body strangely numb. “In December a baby was born here and just recently he started to manifest an ability. Two abilities.”

Akaashi was already putting together the pieces and he guessed that Sugawara was too, even if he didn’t have as many pieces as Akaashi. Akaashi remembered what Kaori said about Shirofuku’s vision and suddenly things started to make a lot more sense. It explained why Sugawara had been in the vision. It explained the death perception child that hadn’t shown up along with Shouyou. It explained a lot, but it didn’t make Akaashi feel much better.

“Telepathy was the first one to appear. He seems to be a strong telepath, too, but unable to turn off the ability. We don’t know if he’ll be able to learn to turn it off in the future.” Ukai scratched the back of his head. “But that’s not what we’re here to talk about. It’s just… his other ability…”

“He has death perception,” Akaashi filled in, unable to watch Ukai continue to struggle with the admittance. 

“Aah, yes.” Ukai looked uncomfortable. “It’s just… His parents refused to take care of him and there’s a lot of people here who don’t want him around. We think it would be better for him if he was raised outside the sect and we were wondering if your friend Akaashi-san would be willing to take care of him too. We hear he’s a great charmer and this boy will need a lot of charms.”

Sugawara was looking at his lap, silent as he seemed to be trying to process the conversation. After a minute of silence he still didn’t respond so Akaashi spoke, feeling that he could trust Ukai. 

“Ukai-san, I’m sorry, but I need to be honest with you. I lied about who I am.”

“Really?”

“I’m… well, I’m actually Akaashi Keiji.” Akaashi hung his head. “We didn’t know if we could trust you, so I didn’t want to use my name.” 

“Oh, wow, umm…” Ukai blinked a few times before sitting up in his chair. “Well, then this makes things easier! Will you do it? I know it’s a lot to ask but I’m afraid that the boy will have a terrible life if he stays here.”

“If there’s no other choice… I guess I can, it’s just I can barely take care of Shou-chan. Another baby would probably be too much.”

“Ugh, yeah, I get yah.” Ukai sunk back in his chair. “I should have known that would be too much to ask. Well, I understand. I’ll make sure the kid goes to a good home. Maybe Take would be okay with–”

“I’ll take him!” Sugawara shouted, standing and knocking his chair backward. He slammed his fist into his chest, this other handheld away from his body dramatically. “Akaashi-kun might not be able to, but I can!”

Akaashi and Ukai exchanged surprised looks before Ukai stood slowly and bowed to Sugawara. 

“Thank you, Sugawara-san.” He stood up straight and smiled lopsidedly at Sugawara. “He’ll be in good hands.” 

Akaashi was just staring at Sugawara now, wondering how in the world they were going to explain another surprise baby.


	10. Don't You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were questions he wasn't ready to answer and then there were questions he didn't know how to answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short but it has some important information.

Akaashi was doing his best to listen to Oikawa and Sugawara talk, but his mind kept wandering. He hated the way his mind twisted every little thing into something to worry about, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

What if Bokuto asked him out? What if he didn't? What if Bokuto decided Akaashi was boring after all and stopped wanting to spend time with him? What if he never wanted to stop talking to Akaashi? What would he do when his uncle was better or his cousin came to take over the store? What would he do if his parents told him to come home?

“Earth to Akaashi,” Oikawa said, waving a hand in front of Akaashi's face. “What's up with you, Aka-chan?”

“Nothing and that's not my name.”

“At least one of those is a lie,” Oikawa said with a smile. “Which one?”

“If I tell you what's wrong, will you use my name?”

“Maybe.”

“I want a yes,” Akaashi said with narrowed eyes and Oikawa shook his head.

“Oh well, it was worth a try. Guess you're too smart for me.”

“Sometimes I wonder how you keep Iwaizumi-san around.”

“Someone's grumpy today,” Oikawa responded. “Distracted and grumpy, what did Taro-chan do?”

“Bokuto-san didn't do anything. It has nothing to do with him.”

“So you admit something is wrong, though.”

“I never said that,” Akaashi insisted even though he was pretty sure he'd lost this argument.

“Aren't we your friends?”

Before Akaashi could respond, someone called to him from the doorway.

“Hey, Akaashi-kun!” Akaashi turned to see Kuroo and Kenma walking over to their table. “Didn't expect to see you here.”

“My apartment is close by. You're the one who's not from around here.”

“What a kind greeting,” Kuroo said with a smile, looking at the rest of the table. “I'm Kuroo.”

Akaashi turned back to Oikawa and Sugawara and was surprised to see they were both on edge, especially Sugawara.

“What's wrong?”

“You didn't tell me Bokuto-kun’s friend was him.”

“Him?”

“Oh, Suga-san, I didn't recognize you.” Kuroo smiled at Sugawara. “How's everything.”

“You know exactly how everything is. Those assholes are still acting like they've done nothing wrong.”

“An owl,” Kenma said before the conversation could go on. “You're an owl.”

“Huh?” Kuroo blinked at Kenma then turned to look at Akaashi, looking concerned. “You're part of the Owl Sect?”

“I thought you'd figured that out already.”

“If I had, I would have done more to keep you away from Bo.”

“That's irrational.”

“It's really not.”

“What is it you want from me, Kuroo-san?”

“I want to know why an owl is in the city, hanging out with a fallen crow and one of the forest people.”

“We're not forest–” Oikawa tried to interrupt, but Kuroo kept talking.

“And I want to know what you want with Bokuto. I want to know why you would find Bokuto interesting.”

Akaashi blinked rapidly in Kuroo’s direction, not expecting that question.

“Well? How could one of the Owl Sect find him interesting?”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow at Kuroo.

“You're asking how I can find him interesting?”

“Exactly.”

Akaashi looked at Kuroo for a long time then he shook his head.

“Don't you?”

Silence stretched between the two groups, Akaashi aware of the growing agitation from Sugawara and Oikawa. Finally, the tension snapped and Sugawara spoke.

“What right so you have to come here and act like you know everything? Sects don't mean anything about a person.”

“Well excuse me if I'm worried about my friend. And don't talk to me about Sects, you don't have one.”

“That's my point, people can leave their sect. They can think for themselves.”

“Normally I'd agree but Bokuto isn't someone I'm going to let be put in danger. The Owl Sect isn't known for its kindness towards Modes so I think my hesitancy is warranted.”

“The Cats aren't exactly the most trustworthy sect either but I'm not going to judge you on just that.”

“Not trustworthy my ass–”

“Why are you scared?” Kenma interrupted quietly, looking at Akaashi. It was like he hadn't been paying attention to the argument at all.

“Huh?”

Akaashi found he was less unsettled by Kenma than he expected to be.

“When we first met something was bothering you. A few things, actually. You were afraid and you kept thinking one name over and over. You're still worried. Why?”

“Like you have any right–” Oikawa said, standing like he was ready to fight but Akaashi waved him away.

“Oikawa-san, it’s alright. You all want to know so damn bad what’s wrong, then why doesn’t everyone sit down.”

Everyone glanced at each other, shifting uncomfortably as Akaashi pursed his lips at them. He didn’t want to talk about any of this, but if it would get them off his back he guessed he had no choice.

“Okay,” Akaashi said when everyone was seated and quiet. “Kuroo-san isn’t wrong not to trust the Owl Sect. I don’t trust them. Out of everyone in the sect, I think I trust five people and two of them aren’t even from a voting family. I don’t trust the Owls with any information on a sensitive Mode. I’m afraid they’ll try to use Bokuto-san if they find out about him so I need to be careful. And… the more time I spend with him, the more likely it is that someone will find out. What if he’s at the shop and my Mother stops by suddenly? What if I’m in the city with him and run into some from the sect running errands to the city? There are so many things that could go wrong and they all end with Bokuto-san hurt, which is not what I want.”

Akaashi sighed, looking down at his drink.

“Is that a good enough answer for you?”

Everyone started to nod, but Kenma interrupted the group agreement.

“Who’s Ishiko Hana?”

Akaashi visibly flinched hearing the name and his shoulders scrunched up nearly to his ears. As he did, everyone at the table was hit with a sudden wave of fear and apprehension despite their charms. Even Kuroo and Kenma, who were both well charmed against magic felt it, both of them realizing that Akaashi did have an ability.

“Wow, that’s some strong Empathic Projection,” Kuroo said as he took a few deep breaths, hoping Kenma would be alright.

“Sorry,” Akaashi said before taking a deep breath.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kuroo told him.

“This is why I should just go home,” Akaashi murmured, too tired to hold onto his secrets for much longer.

“Huh?” Sugawara was the one to respond to that. “Go home? Akaashi-kun, you don’t have to do that.”

“It would be better! Before I met Bokuto-san I didn’t have any problems controlling my abilities. Now everything is all complicated and I have to think about too many things. The longer I stay here, the more harm I’ll do to everyone!”

Akaashi stopped talking, focusing on his breathing instead as he realized he was picking incessantly at his cuticles. One of them was bleeding and another was red and painful and he hadn’t even noticed.

“I shouldn’t have brought up something so personal,” Kenma said, his voice small. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s okay,” Akaashi answered genuinely. He could tell Kenma hadn’t meant any harm. On the contrary, Akaashi thought that Kenma might have thought it would be a good idea to ask. “It’s just–” He shook his head. “Why not just finish this out with more bullshit? Ishiko Hana is the daughter of a family friend. If I… I’m up to be apprenticed to the Owl Sect’s master charmer and if I’m accepted, then her parents will accept the proposal my parents offered. My parents called me about a week and a half ago to tell me I’d made it past the first round.”

The table was silent, everyone waiting for someone else to figure out what to say to Akaashi’s admittance. After a long silence, it was Oikawa who spoke up.

“Your parents can’t make you marry someone.”

“You’ve never met my parents,” Akaashi said with a sour look. “And it’s whatever… It’s a good future.”

“Is it the future you want?” He pressed.

“It’s my future, okay?” Akaashi didn’t understand why everyone was looking at him like he was worthy of their pity. In an attempt to get them to stop looking at him like that, he let more words tumble from the back of his mind out of his mouth, where they didn’t belong. “I’ll be a master charmer and I’ll finally be worth something.”

It was like each thing Akaashi said was more shocking to than the last thing he said, this silence feeling even more uncomfortable as the last few.

“Stop looking at me like that!” Akaashi shouted, standing up fast enough to knock his chair backward.

As it crashed to the ground, a wave of emotion hit the table and some of the nearby tables too. Anger, fear, confusion, and skittishness left the Modes around them nearly paralyzed. Kenma was shaking and Kuroo leaned over him, murmuring quietly as Oikawa and Sugawara looked at Akaashi with worried—if somewhat pained—eyes.

“Sorry,” was all Akaashi could manage before he turned and fled the cafe because he didn’t have a charm to fix himself.


	11. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He looked more fragile that Akaashi had expected, his big eyes seeming at once serious and scared.

The intensity of the baby's eyes was making Akaashi feel a little unsettled. He knew it was silly to be unsettled by a baby and yet… he was.

That said, the black haired boy—Tobio—was quite cute with his big, blue-black eyes and chubby cheeks. Despite being younger than Shouyou, Tobio was nearly the same size as him.

He clung to Sugawara as soon as he was handed over, seeming afraid Sugawara would disappear if he didn't hold on tight. Without thinking, Akaashi had reached over and touched the boy’s head gently, sending waves of calming energy to him. Because Akaashi wasn't fully calm himself, it only partially worked, but it was better than nothing. 

Now they were sitting in Sugawara's childhood bedroom, Koyoko and Asahi having arrived moments after they did. Now the four of them were sitting in contemplative silence.

Sugawara was the one to finally break it.

“Akaashi, I think it might be time to tell Daichi and Bokuto.”

“I don't think we have much of a choice,” Akaashi admitted. “I mean… what could we possibly tell them that they believe?”

Sugawara looked hopefully at Kiyoko, “How did you tell Yachi-chan?” 

“I just told her,” Kiyoko said with a shrug. “She believed me.”

“Of course,” Sugawara sighed. “Well, I guess we could try doing the same. I mean, Bokuto-kun would probably believe you if you told him. And Daichi… well, I can always show him proof.

“We should call Oikawa-san,” Akaashi advised. “And Iwaizumi-san might be able to help ease the blow for Kou and Daichi-san.”

Sugawara sighed, seeming more tired than he had in a long time. Asahi and Kiyoko traded a worried look but said nothing.

“At least I'm pretty sure we can trust Ukai-san,” Sugawara informed them. “He really seems to be worried about Tobio-chan having a good life.”

“He’s a good man,” Kiyoko agreed. “I trust him too.”

There was another long silence and Akaashi decided he needed to take charge. Sugawara literally had his hands full and the other two didn’t know much about their lives. Akaashi needed to take responsibility for his lies and figure out what they were going to do.

“Can you call Oikawa-san? I need to call Kuroo-san and Kenma-kun.”

“Yeah, I can call him. Do you think Kuroo-kun and Kenma-kun would take care of the babies for a little?”

“I’m not sure, but probably.” Akaashi pulled out his phone. “I’ll ask.”

Sugawara moved to hand Tobio to Kiyoko but the little boy was clinging tightly to Sugawara’s shoulder. 

“Tobio, hey, it’s okay. I’m just letting aunt Kiyoko hold you for a little.”

But Tobio wasn’t old enough to really understand what Sugawara was trying to explain—and apparently too traumatized by his parents’ abandonment—to listen. Instead, he started to make whining noises until Sugawara stopped trying to hand him over and instead sighed and readjusted the boy into one arm. 

“Well, I’m not sure if we’ll even be able to drop him off with Kuroo and Kenma if he’s going to do that.” 

“We’ll see,” Akaashi said, his attention back on his phone the moment Kuroo picked up. “Kuroo-san. It’s Akaashi.”

“Hey Akaashi-kun, what’s up? You should get home soon, Bo has been whining about missing you since you left.”

“I’m sorry about that Kuroo-san,” Akaashi apologized unnecessarily. 

“What’s wrong?” Kuroo’s voice was suddenly serious, his mind reacting quickly to the unneeded apology. Akaashi didn’t dislike Kuroo, but they both knew their relationship wasn’t one built on some sort of distant respect. 

“Well, remember how I screwed up and then suddenly I came home with a baby?”

“Akaashi…”

“Well, something similar might have happened to Suga-san.”

“What the hell is going on in your sects that there are so many babies floating around?” Kuroo asked with a huff. “Whatever. What are you two planning and why are you calling me?”

“We can’t keep magic a secret from Kou and Daich-san anymore, it’s just not going to work. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” Kuroo voice was suddenly flippant. “Tell him whatever you want. You can tell him about Kenma and I if you want. He’d probably figure it out, anyway.”

“Thanks,” Akaashi said quietly. “We have a favor to ask you.”

“What?”

“Could you take care of Shou-chan and Tobio-chan?”

“Tobio?”

“Suga-san’s baby.”

“Oh.” Kuroo laughed. “I should have guessed. Yeah, sure, I can. How are you going to get Shouyou to me exactly?”

“Why don’t you come take care of both babies at our place,” Akaashi suggested. “I’ll send Kou to Daichi and Suga’s then you can come over.”

“Okay then… I guess that sounds good.”

“Thank for this, Kuroo-san.”

“What’re friends for?”

“Who knows?” Akaashi responded with a small smile. “Well, I’ll text when I know the timeframe of all this.” 

“Sounds good. Take care of yourselves.”

“We will, thanks.” 

As Akaashi hung up, he turned to watch Sugawara talking to Oikawa but he couldn’t hear a word coming out of Sugawara’s mouth, his mind too numb to really listen. This was all too much and not for the first time, he wished life would just be easier.

But this was his life and if he’d learned anything, it was that his life wasn’t allowed to be easy. 

\---

Bokuto was on his way to the Sugawara-Sawamura household when Suga and Akaashi got to the Akaashi-Bokuto home. 

When they got inside, Kuroo greeted them with a smile, Kenma nowhere to be seen but the giggling of Shouyou from the other room told Akaashi what he needed to know.

“Hey,” Kuroo greeted. “Wow, you two look like shit.”

“Thanks,” Sugawara said with a roll of his eyes. “It's not like I have any reason to.”

“I didn't trip my way into a baby,” Kuroo said with a shrug. 

“Yeah, you're just friends with two people who did,” Sugawara said, sounding like he meant that to be an insult.

“Someone's gotta make sure you don't all fall apart.”

Before they could continue, Kenma appeared with Shouyou on his hip. Kenma's hair was a mess and Akaashi guessed Shouyou had been trying to pull on it since that seemed to be his favorite thing to do to Bokuto. Shouyou seemed drawn to oddly colored hair since he'd made a few attempts at Sugawara's hair too.

“Kuro, you forgot to brush your teeth before bed every night for a week.”

“Kenma,” he whined. “Why would you tell them that?”

When Shouyou entered the room, Akaashi noticed that there was a change in his demeanor. He quieted down, his face suddenly looking almost serious. He turned so he could look in Sugawara’s direction and Tobio had turned in Sugawara’s arms, the two of them looking at each other with an unsettling amount of seriousness.

Right as Akaashi started to worry the two babies’ opposing abilities we're going to try to tear the universe apart, Shouyou giggled and smiled in Tobio’s direction.

Letting out a long sigh, Akaashi looked around the room and grimaced.

“I guess it's time.”

\---

“Bokuto-kun, I'm sure nothing is wrong,” Daichi told him for the fifth time.

“But why would they call us both if something wasn't wrong?” Bokuto asked, his eyes big and plainly worried. 

Daichi knew they weren't exactly close but they spent plenty of time together thanks to their spouses so he knew there was little he could do to get Bokuto to stop worrying. He was pretty sure Akaashi was the only person who knew the secret to that.

“I'm really sure it's nothing bad.” Daichi just couldn't think of a bad thing that Sugawara and Akaashi needed to tell them. To be fair, he couldn't think of anything good either, but that wasn't a helpful thought. “I'm sure.”

Before Bokuto could continue the question, the front door opened to reveal not only Akaashi and Sugawara but also Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Daichi hadn't been expecting them and he couldn't say that their presence cleared up any of his questions.

“Sorry for being so cryptic,” Akaashi apologized as he stepped out of his shoes and into the living room. “But there was no way we could explain over text.”

“Are you alright?” Daichi asked when Sugawara stopped next to Akaashi. “You look… stressed.”

“Well, I guess I am,” Sugawara laughed unconvincingly. “I don't even know where to start.”

Iwaizumi stepped past Akaashi and Sugawara and sat down between Daichi and Bokuto, looking at them both seriously.

“Don't worry, I'm here in case things don't make sense.”

Now Daichi was really confused. 

“Where do we start?” Akaashi murmured, looking at Oikawa, who was standing off to the side, watching everything with a smile and a sharp eye.

“Don't look at me,” he responded. “But maybe start by telling Taro-chan that you're not cheating on him or whatever he's thinking right now.”

Akaashi looked at Bokuto and saw that Oikawa was right that he looked like he'd thought up a lot of bad options for what was happening.

“Kou, I swear whatever you're thinking, that's not what this is about.”

There was silence in the room for a long time before Akaashi and Sugawara remembered that one of them needed to say something.

“Where to start?” Sugawara said again. “Ugh, I should have asked Kiyoko what she said to Yachi-chan.”

“Magic is real,” Akaashi blurted out. Of course, his voice was even and thoughtful, but his mind was a mess and he hadn't meant for this to be so abrupt. “I mean… well, that's what I mean. You three are the only modes—non-magics—of us.”

“Kuroo and Kenma?” Bokuto asked hesitantly, seeming like he couldn't decide what to be shocked by.

“Yes. Also Shou-chan. And…” Akaashi looked at Sugawara and he nodded.

“We needed to tell you because… I might have accidentally adopted a baby.”

“Seriously?” Bokuto squawked. “Wait, they're also magic?”

Daichi looked at Bokuto liked he'd grown another head. “You believe this?”

“Why would they lie?”

“I– well– umm–” Daichi shook his head. “I believe Koushi and Akaashi-kun but it's just hard to believe in magic.”

“Oikawa?” Sugawara asked, glancing at his friend who nodded, heading over to the kitchen to retrieve a small plant. “Magics like us can have abilities. All Magics can do things like placing charms but there are also abilities. Akaashi and I have abilities you can't see so it'll be too hard to show you, but Oikawa has control over plants so…”

Oikawa put a flower down on the table. Due to it being late winter, there were no flowers on it, but as Oikawa concentrated on it, everyone saw a bud form and grow. As his breathing picked up a little, the flower bloomed into the beautiful pink that was usually on seen in spring.

Iwaizumi reached up to put a hand on Daichi and Bokuto's shoulders.

“I know this is a lot, but don't worry if you don't completely understand it all.”

“Wait,” Daichi broke his and Bokuto's silence. “You've been lying to us!”

“It was for your own safety,” Akaashi responded. “Our sects are dangerous and the less either of you knew about each other, the better.”

“Sects?”

“They're sort of like magical clans.” Akaashi sighed. “The Castle Sect, The Crow Sect, The Cat Sect, and the Owl Sect are just a few of them.”

Sugawara groaned next to Akaashi, “This is all too much. How can we explain all of the magical world to them?”

“You don’t have to,” Oikawa looked at Daichi and Bokuto. “It would be silly to try and explain stuff that we’ve spent our whole lives living with and trying to understand. Dai-chan and Taro-chan just need the basics, don’t you two agree?”

“I mean, I want to know more!” Bokuto insisted loudly before quieting down. “But, yeah, I’m not great at listening for a long time so maybe a little would be better.” 

“Okay, I guess we should start with what you need to know.” 

Akaashi sat on the floor across from Daichi and Bokuto, gesturing for Sugawara to join him. As he did, Bokuto slid down onto the floor despite Akaashi not having meant for him to sit on the floor too. Soon, everyone—including Iwaizumi and Oikawa—was on the floor and Akaashi wasn’t sure why. It was probably for the best, he reasoned, because Bokuto listened better when he was sitting on the floor. 

“Magic is a gene and normally it’s dominant so if you have even one Magic parent, you’re likely to have magic. There are some exceptions to this but we’ll get to that later.” Akaashi looked at Oikawa and Sugawara but then remained silent, letting him continue. “Abilities are manifestations of the magic we can access but not everyone has an ability. Some people have more than one. Mine is emotional projections.” Akaashi looked at Daichi. “And I’d like to apologize, when I came over after first getting Shou-chan, you might remember you felt strange while I was talking to you. Maybe afraid for a reason you didn’t understand. That was my fault. If I’m not careful with my emotions, I can affect the people around me.”

“I have the ability to sense magic,” Sugawara said. “Most Magics can get a general sense of if someone is a Magic, though that isn’t always accurate. I can usually sense magic, power, sect, and ability. How much information I get depends on their power relative to mine and whether they or I are wearing charms.

Charms are the main ability all magics have, though some people are better than others. Akaashi-kun is one of the best charmers in the country and the Owl Sect itself is known to have great charmers. The Crow Sect is known for sensitives like me and Oikawa-kun’s Castle Sect is known for their control over plants. The Cat Sect isn’t really known for anything but they seem to have quite a few powerful Magics.” 

“Keiji, you’re part of the Owl Sect?” Bokuto asked, barely able to contain his question until Sugawara paused.

“I am. That’s the real reason my uncle’s shop has an owl on it. It’s so Magics know it’s an Owl Sect charm shop.” Before Bokuto could say anything else—the excitement on his face obvious—Akaashi continued. “I’m sorry, but the Owl Sect isn’t a group you want to or can have contact with.”

“Why not?”

“The Cat and Castle Sects are pretty welcoming and relaxed but the Crow and Owl Sects can be… aggressive,” Akaashi explained. “The Crows have gotten better in the last few years but the Owls… The next generation might hold some promise for change, but that’s still a ways off. For now, they are too dangerous to be allowed to know about you.”

“Why?”

Akaashi rubbed his face, feeling more tired than he had in a long time. He hadn’t felt this tired since he almost completely screwed up his and Bokuto’s relationship. Then again, he seemed to be trying to do that again.

“It’s complicated but you and Nana—along with some of your other family members—are sensitive to magic. You also have a huge pool of magical energy that has no direction or purpose. It’s not connected to a sect and it’s not something you can access but it’s there. Even though you can’t access it, some Magics can and I’m afraid the Owls will use you for your power if they know about you.”

“I don’t… I don’t really understand,” Bokuto admitted, blinking owlishly. 

“Remember those guys who were bothering you when we first met? The ones who gave you that black eye.”

“I remember.”

“They were Magics from the Snake Sect. It’s a small sect without much power and they wanted to use your power but I think they were trying to figure out if they could take you without consequences. Your sensitivity makes it so your signature is easily twisted by the magic around you. You spent so much time with Kuroo-san and Kenma-kun that when we first met your signature seemed to be a Cat’s. Now, it’s more like an Owl’s.”

“This is all a lot,” Daichi cut in, looking at Sugawara. “Do you have a reason for lying to me?”

“When we first met I was on the run,” Sugawara said frankly. “After that… I didn’t want to talk about it, okay?”

“Suga, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to,” Akaashi reminded him.

“I know…” Sugawara sighed, looking more tired than Akaashi felt. “The Crows killed my sister and I just didn’t… I didn’t want to have to tell another person about it all, okay?”

There was silence following that with Oikawa and Akaashi wondering if they should comfort Sugawara in some way. He didn’t seem too distraught but that didn’t mean he didn’t need a hug. Daichi was busy working through the emotions he was being bombarded with and Bokuto was just uncertain what his role in this situation. After a long silence, Iwaizumi spoke up. 

“I know this is a lot, you two, but it’ll make more sense with time. I found out when I was ten and it was a huge shock, but it all works itself out.”

There was another silence but this time Bokuto and Daichi both nodded at Iwaizumi before turning to look back at Akaashi as if they were waiting for more, something that Akaashi hadn’t been prepared for.

“Umm… well… So the reason we both accidentally adopted babies wasn’t that my brother died… that was a lie and I’m sorry.” Akaashi bowed his head a little. “Shou-chan has a double ability. Foresight with projection and something called life perception. Tobio—the boy that Suga-san adopted—has mind reading abilities and death perception. Life and death perception are powerful and commonly feared. I took Shou-chan in because I was afraid people in my sect would have him killed. Suga-san took in Tobio because he would have had a hard time living inside a sect with death perception. He might have also been in danger. One of the reasons I’ve been so tired recently is because I have to make charms to dampen Shou-chan’s abilities. Also, my ability because my tiredness makes it difficult to control my emotions.”

“This is a lot,” Daichi said again, seeming tired and older. “But I guess I can just accept that it’s going to be a lot for a while.”

Sugawara sighed, relief evident in every part of his body. “I’m so glad. And I know a baby is a lot all of a sudden but he’d really adorable, I think you’ll love him.”

“I’m sure I will,” Daichi said, his face softening into a smile. “Sorry for getting angry before.”

“It’s okay.” Sugawara inched closer to Daichi, leaning over to peck a kiss on his lips. “Sorry for lying.”

Before Oikawa could complain about then getting a room, Akaashi’s phone rang and he saw it was Kuroo.

“Hello?”

“Hey, don’t panic but you should all get somewhere safe as quickly as possible. Also, I wanted you to know we’re all safe.”

“Wha–?” 

But before Akaashi could ask what Kuroo was talking about, the building began to shake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending but... honestly... I didn't know how to transition to the next scene/chapter.


	12. I Won't Be Convinced

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody can hurt you if they mean nothing to you.
> 
> Nobody can hurt you if they know nothing about you.
> 
> Nobody can hurt you if you don't make a mark on their minds.
> 
> Those were the rules Akaashi had lived by for most of his life but now everything was different and he wasn't sure how to feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it fitting that the last flashback chapter was short so this one is hellishly long? Honestly, though, it was one of my favorite chapters to write.

“You're going to love them,” Bokuto was leaning on the counter when the door opened. He turned to look at who it was, blocking Akaashi's view of the door. “Oikawa-kun! Sugawara-kun!”

“Please, just call me Suga,” Sugawara said and Akaashi sighed. Of course it was them. “Everyone does.”

“Akaashi doesn't.”

“And I'll still never understand why.” Sugawara looked around Bokuto. “Why’s that, Akaashi-kun?”

“What do you two want?” He asked instead of answering Sugawara's question. “Or are you just here to bother me?”

“I don't know about Suga-chan, but I'm definitely just here to bother you.”

“Such honesty.”

“Well,” Sugawara said with a smile. “I, for one, want to know who Bokuto-kun was just talking about. Making our poor, shy friend meet more new people?”

“Akaashi said he wanted to meet my friends from high school and we're all planning a get together soon so I was telling Akaashi about it.”

“Bokuto-san, it isn't that I don't want to meet your friends. I just don't want to play volleyball. I'm not good at sports.”

“Aka-chan is being modest.” Akaashi glared at Oikawa because like hell did he know anything about Akaashi's athletic ability. “I bet he'd be a decent setter.”

“That's what I said!” Bokuto shouted. “Do you play volleyball?”

“I did in school, but my last year I hurt myself pretty badly and my doctor told me I had to take at least a full year off. I don't really have the time left to get back in shape and make a team with no reference.” Oikawa shrugged, pretending it didn't bother him even though everyone could tell it did. “That's why Iwa-chan started playing hockey in university. He couldn't imagine life on the court without me.” Oikawa blinked at Bokuto. “T–Taro-chan, are you crying?”

“No,” Bokuto lied as he sniffled. “I just got somethin’ in my eye.” He rubbed at his eyes, only making it more obvious that he was crying.

“Taro-chan, it's really okay.” Oikawa looked honestly confused. “Umm… I'm fine, really.”

“It's still sad,” he mumbled before perking up. “Do you wanna play with us? You can invite Iwa-san.”

Oikawa laughed a little. “Hey, why not? And please call him Iwa-san when you meet him.”

“What about you, Suga-kun? Do you like volleyball.”

“Sugawara-san also played through high school,” Akaashi told him. “And didn't you say Sawamura-san did too?”

“Yep!”

Akaashi was just realizing that everyone he knew played volleyball and he wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or some weird character traits about volleyball players that made them group together. Maybe they were just all absolutely insane.

“That’s how Suga-chan and I met,” Oikawa cut in. “He’s infuriating to play against.”

“That's great!” Bokuto smiled widely, seeming to have ignored what Oikawa said. Or maybe Sugawara being infuriating was the thing that sounded great to him. “You should all come! We need more players anyway.”

“Sounds like a lot of fun, I'll ask Daichi.”

“This is going to be so awesome!” Bokuto looked so genuinely happy, Akaashi found he couldn't argue with him. “I didn't think I'd ever get to play with my teammates again! Thanks, you guys!”

Akaashi guessed he'd just have to practice tosses even though it had been a while since he'd helped Kaori practice. He wondered if it was worth the embarrassment of asking Sugawara or Oikawa to help, but he decided against it. He'd be fine practicing on his own.

“Bokuto-san, if you don't leave now, you'll be late for class.”

Bokuto looked at the clock on the wall and squawked, standing and pulling his backpack on.

“See yah, Akaashi! I'll text you with details later!”

Once he was gone, Akaashi groaned and dropped his face into the counter, earning him chuckles from Oikawa and Sugawara.

“What's wrong, Aka-chan?”

“I am not an athlete,” he answered, voice muffled.

“This video says differently.”

Akaashi sat up straight, looking at Oikawa with fire in his eyes but Oikawa just smiled back at him.

“Kaori-chan was nice enough to send it to me.”

“How the hell do you know Kaori-chan?”

“Ooh, I think that's the first time I've heard Akaashi call someone something other than San,” Sugawara said with a chuckle. “Is she an ex?”

“Well, my dear friends, let me answer both your questions. First, Suga-chan, they're childhood best friends. Second, Aka-chan, I know Kaori-chan because she played volleyball on the same off-season team as my cousin.”

Kaori had played volleyball on an out of school team since the school she and Akaashi went to had few sports. Just running, swimming, and soccer. They'd had gymnastics when Akaashi was little, but that was it.

And of course, the video Oikawa was waving in front of his face was of an about 10-year-old Akaashi during a gymnastics completion. Currently, it was displaying his less than spectacular horizontal bar performance. He remembered this competition and the way his father had shaken his head afterward. He remembered the way his mother had asked him if it had been worth all the time wasted.

He'd quit not even a year later, just before he turned 11.

“It’s been almost ten years since I did gymnastics,” Akaashi responded without batting an eyebrow. “I haven't played sports since then.”

“Maybe not,” Oikawa lowered his phone and Sugawara grabbed it to watch the video himself. “But Kaori-chan also told me you used to help her practice volleyball.”

Akaashi quickly considered the pros and cons of murdering his childhood friend and unfortunately found it wasn’t in his best interest, no matter how much he wanted her to stop talking to Oikawa.

“I helped Kaori-chan with spike practice during the off-season. Or during the season, I guess. During our off-season.”

“Didn’t she play for your school’s team?” Oikawa looked puzzled, “She was pretty damn good.”

“No, we didn’t have a team. That’s why she didn’t continue after high school. You said it yourself, it’s hard to get on a university team without references.”

“Akaashi-kun, how old are you in this?” Sugawara asked, pointing at the phone.

“Ten, I think.” He didn’t think, he knew. “I came in third but only because one of the really good kids was out of town and couldn’t compete and another hurt himself during the competition.”

“Third! That’s still really good!” Sugawara commented. “And I’m impressed as hell. I definitely couldn’t have done any of this when I was eight. I could barely set a volleyball when I was eight.”

“I was ten. I’m not ten anymore. I don’t know why we’re dwelling on this.”

“Maybe because I want to know why you never told us about this,” Oikawa pursed his lips. “Keiji-chan, you never tell us anything and I want to know more about you.”

Well, Keiji-chan was an upgrade, at least. Akaashi doubted it would last for very long, but he’d take it.

“If this is about the engagement and apprenticeship, it just never came up.”

“This isn’t just about that, it’s about how you never talk to us. It’s about how this–” Oikawa took his phone back and looked for a moment before pausing the video at the moment after Akaashi finished his final event and saw his scores. There was a smile on his face and he looked honestly happy. “Is one of the, like, five times I’ve seen you smile. And the other times have only been since you met Taro-chan.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akaashi looked away from Oikawa. “Why do you insist on talking about me?”

“Because somebody needs to!”

“You know why I quit gymnastics? Because what’s the point of wasting time on something that I’m not good at when I could be trying to work towards something that will actually help me in the future?”

“Because you’re allowed to do things for fun!”

“Life isn’t about fun! Some of us aren’t perfect like you! Some of us have nothing going for us and don’t have time to have fun!”

Akaashi slowly became aware of the pain in his palm where he was digging his nails into his skin. He looked down at his hand, slowly opening his fist and unsurprisingly finding he’d made himself bleed, despite the thick calluses he’d developed after years of doing this very thing. He took a few deep breaths, aware his charms were at their breaking point and he needed to get his emotions under control unless he wanted a repeat of what happened at that cafe not too long ago. He didn't know what was happening to him anymore. He didn't know where all this anger was coming from. He'd never been so angry before meeting Bokuto. Until he met Bokuto, things had never felt so... unfair.

After what seemed like ages, but was really only about a minute, Akaashi’s anger simmered down and he was able to get his emotions back down to a reasonable level.

“I apologize, Oikawa-san. I shouldn’t have shouted at you like that. What I said was rude and untrue. Please forgive me.”

“Akaashi-kun,” Sugawara took a few steps towards Akaashi, looking worriedly at him even though Akaashi didn’t see it, his eyes glued to the counter. “We’re worried about you.”

“You don’t need to be.”

“Well, we are,” Oikawa crossed his arms. “So get used to it.”

Oikawa put his phone down on the counter, in Akaashi’s eye line and hit play. Instead of looking away, Akaashi watched himself smile at his scores. He looked surprised. He looked excited. He turned and smiled widely at someone off camera, that person running up to Akaashi and hugging him. It was his uncle Hikaru. Behind him was Chinatsu, ready to hug him too but not before she ruffled his hair, making Akaashi stick his tongue out at her. As she hugged him, the video cut but Akaashi could still imagine the day.

It had been his second to last competition. It was the best score he ever got and the highest he’d ever placed. He’d been happy that day. He’d been excited to compete and so happy when he did well. He’d trained so, so hard for that. It had all meant so much to him. When he’d gotten home, his parents were still at work so he, Hikaru, and Chinatsu went to Kaori’s house and they all celebrated.

It had felt warm and happy. It had felt like family and like home. Akaashi had been momentarily happy but even then, he’d felt dread building up as he waited for his parents to return. He’d told them he won third. He said he got a personal record. His father hadn't said a word but Akaashi knew he was disappointed. His mother had told him to stop wasting his time.

At his next competition, he’d done poorly and then he’d quit, focusing on his studies instead. He’d learned to strengthen his mental shields and to make better charms. He protected himself from his parents and from the world because it was better that way. Kaori was the only one allowed in and he liked it that way.

Nobody can hurt you if they mean nothing to you.

Nobody can hurt you if they know nothing about you.

But the boy in the video Kaori had sent Oikawa was a very different boy from who Akaashi was now. He was different from the boy he’d be in a year. Nine-year-old Akaashi was happy and Akaashi wouldn’t say he was unhappy now but he wasn’t happy like that. Maybe that’s because it was a child’s happiness but, probably, it was because it was that happiness that had been so easily exploited.

With his ability, it was important to keep negative emotions dampened, otherwise others would feel as bad as you. But he’d decided then to keep all his emotions dampened because it was safer for him. His ability made his emotions so easy to read and emotions were dangerous.

“This was a long time ago,” Akaashi whispered, turning the phone off and handing it back to Oikawa. “I need to go. The shop is closed.”

Before either of them could argue, Akaashi disappeared into the back room, locking the door behind him.

He wondered if he could keep running.

\---

Akaashi felt strange about being part of such a large group. He felt even stranger because he felt a little like a fifth wheel.

First, there was Iwaizumi and Oikawa—childhood friends turned lovers—who, thanks mostly to Oikawa, were usually touching at least a little bit. Then there was Sugawara and Sawamura who were relatively new to their relationship but that meant they were in the sickeningly sweet honeymoon phase. That said, this honeymoon phase was lasting longer than expected and Akaashi wondered if they were always going to be this overly sweet.

He felt even stranger when they arrived at the volleyball court and found only three people: Bokuto and two strangers.

“Hello,” Akaashi called with a raised hand and as he did, one of the two strangers leaned over to say something to Bokuto who turned red and shouted at the stranger to stop being mean. “Where’s Kuroo and Kenma?”

“They’re on their way,” Bokuto said, still red. “They missed their bus.”

“Well, I guess that gives us time for introductions.” Akaashi nodded at the strangers, the shorter of the two nodding back while the other just gave him an odd smile.

“Sarukui Yamato,” the taller one with the strange smile said. “Nice to meet you all.”

“And I’m Konoha Akinori, thank you for taking care of this idiot.”

“Konoha!” Bokuto shouted, making Konoha smile wickedly.

“Well, we try,” Oikawa responded, earning him an eye roll from Iwaizumi and Akaashi. “I’m Oikawa Tooru and it’s nice to meet more of Taro-chan’s friends.”

“I’m Iwaizumi Hajime,” Iwaizumi said stiffly, seeming a little out of his element suddenly.

“Sugawara Koushi,” Sugawara said with a smile. “But you can call me Suga.”

“I’m Sawamura Daichi, but please, just call me Daichi. Everyone does.”

“And I’m Akaashi Keiji,” Akaashi was the last one to introduce himself, but he had the feeling that both young men already knew who he was.

“Glad to meet you all,” Konoha said with a smile. “Especially you, Akaashi-san. The Captain talks about you all the time after all.”

“Konoha, I told you not to say that!”

“I apologize, that must be boring,” Akaashi said, earning him a punch in the arm from Sugawara

“Nah, it's nice to hear him talk about something other than how much he hates his classes.”

“You're from his old volleyball team, right?” Daichi asked, seeming to be the person here who was the most uncomfortable.

“Yep,” Konoha said with a smile. “I'm pretty much the reason this guy didn't get expelled–”

“Kuroo-kun, Kenma-kun!” Bokuto interrupted to unnecessarily call Kuroo and Kenma over to them. Akaashi noted his deflection of Konoha’s comment but decided it wasn't really his place to question it. “You remember Kuroo-kun and Kenma-kun?”

“Sure do, those two were a nightmare to play against,” Konoha said, his face an annoyed smirk like he was remembering something good yet irritating. “Long time no see, you two.”

“Konoha-kun, Saru-kun, it's only you two?” Kuroo asked once they were close enough to not shout.

“Everyone else was busy,” Bokuto complained.

“Some people have lives,” Konoha pointed out.

“That explains why you're here, then,” Kuroo said with a smirk of his own, earning him a middle finger from Konoha. “Well, we have enough people anyway. And I hear Akaashi-kun is the only one who hasn't played before.”

Akaashi had not realized that. This suddenly seemed like an even worse idea than before.

“He's played,” Oikawa offered, earning him a glare from Akaashi as everyone else waited for more information.

“I haven't. I simply helped my neighbor practice her spiking and receiving. Mostly I tossed to her. But that was all.”

“I knew you would be a good setter,” Bokuto said with a smile. “How are we going to pick teams?”

“How about Team Bokuto and Team Akaashi,” Kuroo recommend, the glint in his eye telling Akaashi he was up to something.

“Why?” Bokuto whined and Akaashi understood what he was doing. He should have known Kuroo would be trying to make Bokuto's life hard. “It seems unfair to have our team be all people who've played together.”

“I guess you're right,” Kuroo shrugged and Akaashi rolled his eyes. “What do you suggest?”

“Well, I think we have too many setters,” Oikawa said. “So we should start by figuring that out.”

“Okay, how many setters do we have?” Kuroo asked and three hands rose. After a moment, Bokuto reached over and grabbed Akaashi's arm to force him to raise his hand. “Seriously? Four? That's too many.”

“How about this,” Akaashi suggested, “two setters per team. Konoha-san, Sarukui-san, if you two don't mind splitting up I think we can make even teams by keeping one person paired with the setter they know best. Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san, Sugawara-san and Sawamura-san, Kuroo-san and Kenma-san, and Bokuto-san and I.”

“Sounds good to me,” Konoha said, looking at Kuroo and Kenma. “I'll be on whatever team is facing you two. This won't be much fun if I can't play you two.”

“Bo and I can pick teams,” Kuroo offered. “And I'll take team pretty boy.”

He looked at Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Oikawa letting out a sound of excitement partially because he'd been picked first and partially because Kuroo had called them team pretty boy.

“I guess Suga-kun and Daichi-san are on my team. And Konoha-kun. Sorry Saru-kun,” Bokuto said with a smile.

“No worries, Captain,” Akaashi was starting to suspect that strange smile was just the normal look that Sarukui had. “It's been a while since I got to play you so this should be fun.”

“Watch out, Suga-chan, I'm not going to hold back.”

“You'd better not.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes at their competitiveness. It seemed unnecessary.

Once the two teams split, Sugawara was the first to talk.

“Okay, you have to watch out for Oikawa-kun. He's probably the best setter I've ever faced.”

“Kenma-kun is really good too,” Bokuto informed him. “I'm not sure how he'll do with such a strange team, but I'm sure he'll still be scary. And Kuroo is an annoying bastard so watch out for him. Between him and Saru, blocks will be a pain.”

Akaashi was feeling more and more out of his element. He knew how to set the ball and he could barely do an underhand serve. He didn't know how to spike–and he honestly doubted he could–and he didn't really know anything about defensive volleyball.

“So, let's have Akaashi handle as many tosses as possible,” Sugawara said with a smile.

“What?” Akaashi's eyes widened slightly. “You're more experienced, you should take the main position.”

“True, but can you do anything but toss?” Akaashi sputtered but didn't have anything to say. “You should try to get some receives but I'm a little worried your arms won't be able to handle most spikes.”

Akaashi chose not to get annoyed with Sugawara's comment about his arms.

“I may not be a great spiker, but I can do it. This is for fun and we just want you to have fun.”

“If you wanted me to have fun, we would have played a sport we're all bad at,” Akaashi grumbled.

“Oh, I never even thought of that,” Bokuto commented, Akaashi looking at him with narrowed eyes. “Hey! This'll be fun, I swear!”

“I don't even know how to serve,” Akaashi was exaggerating a little bit, but he thought it was a fair exaggeration.

“We're all friends, it'll be fine.” Bokuto put his arm around Akaashi's shoulders, smiling widely at him. “It'll be fine!”

\---

It was not fine. Akaashi was basically a mess and they were lucky the score wasn't anything worse. It was currently at 17-10 and Akaashi was really considering if it would be worth pretending to get injured so he didn't have to play anymore. Or actually getting injured.

He was starting to get a rhythm for tossing to Bokuto, but he suspected that said more about Bokuto's skill as a spiker than anything else.

Overall, Akaashi wasn't too bad at tossing, but everything else he did was a mess. He couldn't block properly and his receives we're weak. Even when he made solid contact, the ball usually went ricocheting off in the wrong direction. His serves were so bad, they didn't even deserve to be called serves.

Really the only this going for him was that he'd watched enough volleyball between Kaori's matches and the TV matches she made him watch that he had a pretty good sense of the game. Nothing like Oikawa or Sugawara or Kenma, but it was something he was decently good at.

“Let's turn this around!” Bokuto shouted as Oikawa moved into position to serve.

“Captain, stay calm,” Konoha called and Akaashi noticed an odd lilt to his voice that made him look at Bokuto more closely.

There was definitely something on edge about Bokuto that hadn't been there before, like every one of his muscles was taut. He was like a coil ready to spring. Or maybe like a rubber band about to snap.

The serve was hard, fast, and aimed directly at Akaashi. He didn't stop it in the least, his arms stinging and red from the impact.

“What the hell Oikawa!” Bokuto shouted. “That's no fair!”

“Sorry,” he said with a smile. “I won't do it again, I swear.”

“You better not!” There was real anger in Bokuto's voice which surprised Akaashi.

“It's okay, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said and Oikawa got ready for another serve. “I am the weakest link on our team.”

“Which is why that wasn't fair! He should've gone for someone else,” Bokuto grumbled and Konoha walked over to slap him on the back. “What the hell?”

“Captain, I told you to calm down.”

“I am calm!” Konoha raised an eyebrow at that and Bokuto just grumbled and looked away, mumbling something about Oikawa serving.

This time, Oikawa didn’t aim for Akaashi and instead aimed for Sugawara, who wasn't ready for it and was barely able to stop the serve. Even so, it went flying back over the net.

Kenma was the one setting now, with Sarukui and Kuroo in the front line as well. Akaashi suspected that he'd set to Kuroo give Akaashi's bad blocks and Bokuto's current unbalanced attitude.

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, as the ball went to Kenma. “Kuroo-san.”

They both jumped but it was easy enough for Kuroo to slam through Akaashi's hands and even though he was pretty sure Kuroo was holding back, it still hurt like hell.

All three of them landed and the ball hit the ground, but Kuroo was the one to groan.

“Net touch,” he said and Akaashi could see the net was moving more than usual. “Sorry guys, that was me.”

“Lucky,” Sugawara commented, tossing the ball to Bokuto. “Nice serve, Bokuto.”

He grunted in response and Akaashi felt a trickle of worry. He'd seen Bokuto so excited he looked like he was going to hurt himself but now, he'd turned around the other way and Akaashi was worried about him. He seemed on the edge of something—either anger or sadness but Akaashi couldn't decide which it was. Maybe it would depend on what happened next.

There was a chorus of nice serves—Akaashi even heard Sarukui shout that, but he guessed it was more habit than anything else—and then Bokuto served.

It was immediately clear that he'd hit it way too hard. Nobody on the other side of the net moved an inch, instead simply watching his slam into the back wall with an honestly impressive amount of force.

“Damnit!” Bokuto shouted. “I'm sorry!”

“Don't worry about it,” Akaashi said as everyone else said something similar.

Despite that, Bokuto was looking more and more downcast, his anger turning quickly to despair.

“Captain, there's nothing to do about it,” Konoha said. “And, hey, that was a pretty cool hit, don't you think, Akaashi?”

“Huh?” Akaashi blinked, unsure what Konoha was doing. “Oh, well yeah, it was really strong. I’m impressed.”

“Really?” Bokuto asked, perking up a little as Sarukui got ready to serve.

“Sure, I definitely couldn't hit a volleyball that hard in any direction.”

“Well, it was nothing,” Bokuto said both a smile. “Just watch my next spike! Then you'll really be impressed.”

Akaashi was glad Bokuto seemed excited, but based on the continued concern in Konoha's face, he guessed they weren't out of the woods yet.

“Akaashi,” Konoha spoke quietly to Akaashi. “Make sure you send the next toss to the Captain. No matter what.”

“Umm… okay?”

“Thanks,” Konoha smiled at Akaashi, slapping him on the back and heading back into position while Akaashi wondered what that was about.

Kuroo was up to serve and Akaashi could tell he was trying to decide something. After long enough for people to start telling him to just serve already, he seemed to make his decision. He didn’t do the jump serves he’d been doing for most of the match, instead opting for the simpler overhand serve. It made sense, though, since his last jump serve had landed out of bounds. He apparently didn’t have great control over it, which he had shouted at Bokuto was because it had been awhile since he’d done it.

His overhand serve was nothing to sneeze at, but Konoha easily received it, sending it to Akaashi easily. It was a good receive and now he needed to give Bokuto a good toss. Luckily, Bokuto was one of the few Akaashi felt comfortable tossing to right now.

“Bokuto-san!”

Bokuto shouted and jumped for the ball but Akaashi could tell his jump had been off and when he spiked the ball, instead of slamming into the ground or—at least—into the blockers’ waiting hands, it slammed into the net and fell to the ground. Bokuto dropped and looked at his hands like they’d betrayed him and Konoha sighed, patting Akaashi on the shoulder.

“Akaashi, I’m sorry, that was a perfect toss,” Bokuto said, still looking at his hands.

“It was hardly perfect.” Akaashi shook his head. “And don’t worry about it, everyone makes mistakes. I’ve been making mistakes the whole–”

“No!” Bokuto interrupted. “I’m holding you back. You need to keep playing without me.”

“Huh?” Akaashi glanced at Sugawara, who looked equally as confused.

“I’ve failed our team too many times, just… don’t toss to me anymore.”

Konoha started to step towards Bokuto, deciding that he was the one who would have to deal with this but Akaashi spoke before he could do anything.

“Okay, that’s fine. Please take your time.” Akaashi nodded at Bokuto, earning him a looking of surprise from Konoha, Saru, and Kuroo. “I’m sure you just need some time to breathe. Just tell me when you’re ready again.”

“Oh, umm, okay.” Bokuto blinked, not expecting that answer and watching as the game started again and Akaashi stayed to his word.

As they played, Akaashi found himself starting to feel waves of competitiveness. He wanted to win. He wanted Bokuto to win.

It was 23-20 when Akaashi looked over and saw the bright excitement was back in Bokuto's eyes. Without thinking about it, he sent his next toss to Bokuto, who excitedly spiked it, slamming through the waiting hands of Oikawa and Kuroo.

“Yeah!” Bokuto shouted. “Did you see that, Akaashi? Wasn't that great?”

“Amazing,” Akaashi agreed with a nod. “But they're still winning so I guess you need to get us some more points.”

“You bet I do!”

Akaashi smiled, unable to resist the infectious excitement Bokuto was emitting. Maybe Bokuto had collapsed a little under pressure he'd manufactured, but now he was back and Akaashi didn't understand how in the world he was going to leave this city.

\---

They ended up losing 26-24 but Akaashi still felt pretty good about their team. They had had a handicap since he was on the team so it was impressive they had even been able to break 20.

Afterward, they all headed back to Oikawa’s apartment since it was the closest one to the court. They ordered food and had a bit of a party; Sarukui and Konoha telling stories about Bokuto from high school while Oikawa and Sugawara told stories about him from since they met.

Kenma and Kuroo were the first to leave since Kenma had a project due soon and Kuroo had an exam to study for. Daichi was the next to leave, apologizing and explaining that he needed to pack for a trip home. It wasn't long after they left that Akaashi fell asleep. When he woke up, the room was much quieter and he found himself a little confused.

Sitting up from where he was laying on Oikawa's bed—someone had moved him from the couch—he saw the room was empty except for where Bokuto was slumped over the kitchen table.

Akaashi rubbed his eyes, unsure what was going on.

“Bokuto-san? Where is everyone?”

“Huh?” Bokuto sat straight up, looking surprised for a moment before he realized he'd fallen asleep too. Akaashi didn't miss the look of panicked alertness in his eyes when he woke up. It only faded when he'd scanned the room and found the source of his wakefulness was only Akaashi. “Akaashi, you're awake!”

“And you were asleep.” He looked around for clues. “Where is everyone?”

“Not sure. Suga-kun left a bit after you fell asleep but everyone else was still here. I don't even remember falling asleep.” Bokuto looked around before noticing a note on the table. “Oh! It's from Oikawa. 'Saru-chan and Kono-chan went back to their hotels. Iwa-chan and I just went out to grab a futon from his place in case you two never woke up and we needed somewhere to sleep. Be back soon!’”

“They could've just woken me up,” Akaashi pointed out before turning to look at Bokuto. “Thank you for today. It was fun.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. It's been a while since I got to do anything like that.”

“Sorry for breaking down like I did,” Bokuto said, not looking at Akaashi. His voice was so much smaller than usual and it made Akaashi feel sad and angry because he was sure Bokuto was used to people being so negative. It was easy for Akaashi to put together the many puzzle pieces Bokuto had given him about his life, but each new one made Akaashi angrier than the last. “Sometimes I have trouble… umm… regulating my feelings.”

“Is that why you don't like your university team? Are they assholes about it?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, they're idiots then,” Akaashi spat, surprising Bokuto. “You're a great player. Just because every so often you need more support… That's why there are six people on the court. Or at least it should be.”

“You don't think I'm annoying?”

“You're no more annoying than Oikawa-san so don't worry.”

“Hey!” Oikawa called as he opened the door. “And here I was letting you two have a moment.”

“Oikawa-san, were you listening to our conversation through the door?” Akaashi asked as Iwaizumi followed Oikawa into the apartment, futon taking up his arms.

“No– ouch!” Oikawa yelped as Iwaizumi hit him in the back of the head with the futon. “Iwa!”

“Yes, that's exactly what he was doing,” Iwaizumi said to Akaashi. “I told him not to be nosey but he never listens.”

“I wasn't being nosey.” Akaashi raised an eyebrow at him. “Okay, maybe I was being a little nosey, but I wanted to make sure you two weren't going to starting making– ouch!” Iwaizumi had hit Oikawa again, making him pout and rub the back of his head. “You're being so mean today!”

“Quit harassing Akaashi-kun, he doesn't deserve it.”

“So heroic,” Oikawa told his, his pout turning into a sort of smirk. “You know how turned on–”

“Alright, time to go!” Akaashi shouted, standing as everyone but Oikawa turned varying shades of really embarrassed.

“Thanks for coming today,” Bokuto said as he stood and followed Akaashi to the door. “And thanks for letting me sleep on your table, I guess.”

“Anytime Taro-chan,” Oikawa told him with a small wave. “Text me when you get home.”

“I will,” Akaashi assured him.

“And both of you get some sleep, you're both too tired,” Iwaizumi chimed in.

“I'll try,” Akaashi nodded at them both. “See you later.”

The door closed and Bokuto smiled widely at Akaashi.

“Your apartment is closer so I guess I get to walk you home today.”

Akaashi wanted to argue because his apartment was closer to Oikawa's place but it was also in the opposite direction that Bokuto's was. He also wanted to be the one to drop Bokuto off, his mind always worrying about who could be waiting to mess with him.

Instead, he nodded, smiling just a little.

“I guess so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TFW you have to figure out how to write a volleyball game where all but one of the players is actually an at least decent player and you remember you're really bad at writing sports games/matches no matter how much you know about said sport. Also as I started to write I realized I'd somehow collected four setters, which was a bit of a problem haha XD
> 
> (Though, I will say, the original idea for this game was going to include Akaashi as a former setter for real so I had to rewrite the entire outline once I realized that wouldn't work with my character arc. Originally Akaashi was going to turn out to be a competitive-ass son of a bitch and while I tried to keep some of that, there was no way I could write that idea in the way I wanted without him looking like an idiot since he's not great at vb.)
> 
> Also, in case you were wondering I fucking love Konoha because if you're caught up with the manga you know he's a crazy bitch, at least on the court. I love him and if the next season ever comes out I will be so disappointed if they tone down how much of a salty ass lunatic he is in the nekoma-fukurodani game.


	13. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hikaru and Chinatsu Hayakawa were barely Owls, let alone Akaashi's and yet, they always felt like home.

As the building began to shake, Akaashi dropped his phone while the whole group scrambling for safety. When the earthquake passed—it had been an unusually long one even though it wasn’t terrible powerful—Akaashi was able to find his phone and was surprised to see the call was still going.

“Kuroo?”

“We’re okay,” his voice was strained. “You guys are alright?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t too bad. How’d you know that was going to happen?”

Kuroo snorted like that was a stupid question, “Come on Owl, your son has foresight.”

“Oh,” Akaashi blinked, surprised to hear that one of Shouyou’s visions had been accurate. “He’s never had a really helpful vision. Either they’re completely wrong or so far in the future that they're unhelpful.”

“Well, his vision was of a much more powerful earthquake so I guess we’re lucky. That’s why I called. I was worried we might not be able to contact each other.”

“Thanks for the call.”

“Sorry if I panicked you.”

“No, it’s alright…” Akaashi sighed, willing his heart to calm down. “We’ll be back over as soon as possible.”

“Okay, see you then.”

“Thanks, Kuroo-san.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The line went dead and everyone was looking at Akaashi who sighed and then shrugged.

“What did Kuroo want?” Bokuto asked.

“Shou-chan predicted the earthquake and he was calling to warn us.”

“He’s already getting better,” Sugawara commented. “He might actually be an accurate seer.”

“I'd rather he wasn't,” Akaashi told him. “I just don't think I can trust any sect to handle someone with foresight.”

“Why are you still part of your sect if they're so terrible?” Bokuto asked.

“Why do you still talk to your parents?” Akaashi asked, the answer to Bokuto's question obvious but Akaashi’s way of answering coming off as a little more aggressive than he meant it to.

“It's complicated,” was Sugawara's answer. “Everything is just… complicated.”

Akaashi's phone rang and he picked it up, wondering if it was Kuroo again.

“Hello?”

“Keiji-kun! It's Hikaru.”

“Uncle Hikaru?” Akaashi hadn't expected this call. “What's going on?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just heard about Shouyou.” Before Akaashi could voice his question, Hikaru continued. “I didn't have to go to the meeting so I hadn't heard about what happened until recently. I called your parents to ask a question about you and your mother acted like you tried to kill her.”

“She probably thinks I did,” Akaashi sighed. “But, yes, the baby is with me.”

“How is he?”

“Huh?”

“How is he?” Hikaru repeated. “Also Chinatsu and I want to visit if that's okay. We want to meet the baby.”

“He's fine, though now might not be the best time to visit. I just told Kou about magic.”

“Who's that?” Bokuto asked since he'd only started listening to the conversation.

“My uncle,” Akaashi explained. “You remember Hikaru, right?”

“Hi, Hikaru-san!” Bokuto shouted into the phone. “If you want to visit, that's okay!”

“Great! It's been too long.”

Akaashi sighed, wondering if Bokuto had really digested the information about magic. He should be confused and he should be angry. Akaashi had lied to him. For years. Almost all his good friends had lied to him. Akaashi would be furious even if he didn't show it. He'd never trust his friends again.

Why didn't he hate Akaashi?

“Okay then, text me when you want to visit.”

“Sounds good, talk to you later.”

“Talk to you later,” Akaashi responded, putting his phone away and looking at Sugawara. “I guess it's time they met Tobio.”

\---

“I’m sorry,” Akaashi repeated, happy to be curled up against Bokuto’s chest with Bokuto’s arms circling him.

It was late at night but he couldn’t sleep and neither could Bokuto so they gave up and decided to just cuddle and talk quietly to each other. Akaashi was happy for the closeness to Bokuto because it made him feel safe.

When they’d arrived home, they’d found very little damage from the earthquake, but it had knocked Kashi off his shelf and he’d gotten a small chip. Something about that had thrown Akaashi more off balance than he’d already been, feeling a little bit like he was going to collapse in on himself. It had been a long time since he truly imploded—he’d come close in that first week with Shouyou—and he was afraid that if he did so that this time it would be more like an explosion that would hurt Bokuto and Shouyou.

“I should have told you sooner but I never knew how to. And I guess I felt like I could protect you from everything myself. It was selfish. I shouldn’t have kept it a secret for so long.”

And, deep down, he knew he'd been afraid Bokuto would hate him for lying.

“It’s really okay,” Bokuto tightened his hold on Akaashi. “I get it, okay? I hid plenty of things from you for too long. I was living paycheck to paycheck for so long and never told you. I didn’t want to say anything about my family. I even tried to hide how my teammates treated me even though I wanted you to come and watch me play.”

“But you told me all those things. You let me in. I… I never let anyone in.”

“It’s okay.”

“It’s not.”

“You don’t have to tell me everything.” Bokuto kissed Akaashi’s hair, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I want you to be able to tell me anything but I understand if you can’t.”

“How are you like this?”

“Huh?”

“I still don’t understand how you do it.”

“Do what?”

“Be so kind and forgiving. You have so much love to give and you give it so freely. I don’t understand how you do it even now. It’s been so long and I still don’t know how you do it.”

“Because everyone deserves a chance at kindness.” Akaashi leaned away from Bokuto, unsurprised to see the strange wisdom he sometimes displayed. It spoke of someone who had learned a lot of hard lessons at a young age. They were eyes of someone wise beyond their years. “No matter what.”

“But when does it stop? When do I fuck up enough?”

Bokuto leaned over and kissed Akaashi on his nose, Akaashi squeezing his eyes closed as Bokuto did.

“As long as you’re this hard on yourself, I’ll be here to remind you that you’re worth kindness. No matter what.”

Akaashi loved his husband. He loved him more than he thought he could love just a handful of years ago. His heart hurt from the love but the pain wasn’t a bad thing. It was just so much more than his heart knew how to handle.

“I love you,” Akaashi said, burying his face back into Bokuto’s chest.

“I love you too,” Bokuto said, smiling widely because he didn’t think there was anything he loved more in the world than Akaashi Keiji.

\---

“Coming!” Akaashi called when the doorbell rang, moving the food away from Shouyou despite his annoyed shouts of ‘Dad no.’

When Shouyou had first said Dad and Papa, Akaashi and Bokuto had been charmed. Then he’d learned the word no and his favorite thing to do was combine the two into a demand.

“Keiji-kun!” Hikaru was already shouting when Akaashi opened the door, throwing his arms around Akaashi without pausing. Behind him, Chinatsu smiled mischievously. “Where’s the birthday boy?”

“It’s not his birthday yet,” Akaashi pointed out as Hikaru let go of him, only to be replaced by Chinatsu.

“Dad’s right, where’s the birthday boy?” She let go of Akaashi and looked around with a smile. “And where’s Koutarou-kun? I would have expected him to be here to accept some hugs.”

“He’s still at work. He’ll be home soon.” Akaashi led them towards the kitchen where Shouyou was attempting to reach for the food that was way out of his reach. “The girls had a match today.”

“Aww, he’s adorable!” Chinatsu walked over to Shouyou, squatting down slightly to get herself at eye level with him. For a moment he seemed wary of her but then he smiled, laughing a bit as he reached out to grab at her earrings which were, luckily, out of his reach. “Hi, Shou-chan! I’m your big sis’ Chi-chan.”

“And I’m Uncle Hikaru.”

Akaashi could feel the power draining from his charms on Shouyou as he, probably, had some sort of vision that his mind was trying to project. Grabbing the closest thing he could find—a toy laying on the counter—Akaashi charmed it with a dampening charm before handing it to Shouyou.

“Woah, that’s some strong magic,” Hikaru said. “Both of you, actually. Your charms are always getting better, Keiji-kun.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice lately.” Akaashi was starting to wonder if Shouyou’s magic would even out any time soon. If it didn’t, Akaashi had a lot of years of constant exhaustion ahead of him. “He has at least a vision a day, usually more. His magic reservoirs are bigger than Kou’s.”

“Already? He’s not even one.” Chinatsu seemed the most surprised of them.

“Life perception isn’t a weak ability,” Hikaru commented. “And neither is foresight. Or projection.”

“Projection isn’t all that powerful,” Akaashi said, reflexively downplaying his own ability and earning him a stern look from Hikaru and Chinatsu.

Before either of them could reprimand Akaashi, the front door open and Bokuto loudly announced himself, leading to Shouyou shouting ‘Papa’ excitedly from his highchair.

“Keiji, Shouyou, you should have seen the girls today, they were–” Bokuto stopped in the entry to the kitchen, a look of surprise briefly taking over his face, only to be replaced by a look of excitement. “Hikaru-san! Chinatsu-chan! You’re here!”

“Koutarou-kun!” Chinatsu shouted, running over to hug Bokuto like they were siblings and not just cousins-in-law. Akaashi sometimes wondered if in a past life they’d been twins, given their similar propensities towards loud excitement that Akaashi loved but could rarely match. “It’s been too long!”

“I’m not the one who runs all over the world and leaves us all alone,” Bokuto laughed, earning him a slap on the arm. “Hello to you too, Hikaru-san.”

“Koutarou-kun, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Uncle?”

Bokuto laughed, “Sorry! You know my memory is bad.”

Akaashi shook his head at that, knowing that the use of the honorific by Bokuto was his way of showing Hikaru how much he respected him. Not that Bokuto thought the lack of an honorific was a way to disrespect someone. It was a confusing sort of mindset that Akaashi had taken years to understand, but now he could see that Bokuto had a huge amount of respect for Hikaru and because of that he felt the need to use ‘san.’

“I hear you’ve finally learned about this thing we call magic,” Hikaru said before looking a little worried. “If you’re still processing it, we don’t have to talk about it.”

“No, I’m fine!” Bokuto said honestly. “It’s still kinda’ confusing, but a lot of things are confusing so that’s okay.” Bokuto’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “Wait, you two are magic too, right?”

“Magics, yes,” Hikaru nodded. “My ability is related to sensing magic, which helps me make charms.”

“I’m proficient in fire control,” Chinatsu told Bokuto. “That’s my ability, I mean. I also have a secondary ability but fire is my main ability.”

“Fire? Cool!” Bokuto turned to smile at Akaashi. “I knew Hikaru-san and Chinatsu-chan were cool, but this is so much cooler! I always just thought they liked owls but this is way cooler.”

“Hate to break it to you, Koutarou-kun, but I don't have a specific love for owls,” Hikaru laughed. “Just using the Owl Sect to draw business.”

“Really?” Bokuto looked like he'd been betrayed. “How can you not like owls?”

“The Owl Sect turned me off from them a little,” Hikaru admitted. “I'm a non-sect magic and the Owls weren't too happy to have one of the Akaashi family marry outside the sect.”

“Huh?” Bokuto blinked, unable to come up with a question that would answer all the questions he had.

“Some Magics have no sect,” Akaashi explained. “Uncle married my mom’s twin sister. The Akaashi family is an important family in the owl sect, which is why my father took my mother's name.”

“Your grandparents weren't happy when Natsuki took my name. It was bad enough she married me.”

“But wait, your family is well known?”

“Sure is,” Chinatsu cut in, throwing her arm around Akaashi. “Aunt Akaashi is a powerful Magic with the uncommon ability to manipulate all four basic elements. Uncle Akaashi is a powerful mind-reader which is why Aunt Akaashi married him.”

Akaashi stayed quiet, fidgeting mindlessly with his fingers while he tried not to let his mind fall into the anxiety trap of thinking about his parent's abilities. Akaashi had taught himself to make charms specifically so he could make a protective charm for his mind, to protect from invasion by his father. He was just glad his mother wasn't a mind-reader too, otherwise he probably never would have made a charm powerful enough to stop her.

In place of that, he had just grown up with her expectation that he would be at least as powerful as his father. Instead, he had a useless ability that had just made his life difficult.

“Keiji-kun, stop that.” Chinatsu reached over to flick Akaashi in the forehead.

Akaashi yelped, reaching up to rub the spot she'd flicked before glaring at Chinatsu.

“What?”

“I can feel the negativity in your thoughts. You only get that negative when you're thinking bad things about yourself.”

Chinatsu secondary ability was from the same family as Akaashi's: emotion sensing. It meant that she was very good at reading people’s emotions. It also meant she was extremely susceptible to Akaashi's projection, but it never seemed to bother her.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as Chinatsu put her arm back around his shoulders.

“No need to apologize, just stop letting Aunt Akaashi get to you.”

“Wait, Keiji!” Bokuto looked upset. “Is magic stuff why your parents are assholes?”

“I guess,” Akaashi shrugged and Chinatsu rolled her eyes.

“It is. They've been trying to find a way to use Keiji-kun since he was born. When his ability was deemed unnecessary, they had to focus on his charms. It's a miracle he's here at all but luckily he met a bunch of crazy city folk before Aunt Akaashi screwed his life up.”

“Is that what you meant when you told me you couldn't date me?” Bokuto asked, bringing back painful memories as if they didn't hurt him at all. Akaashi didn't understand how he wasn't upset about how Akaashi had acted. “Because of your parents?”

“Yeah, they had planned my future out so… it's really not important anymore.”

Before anyone could continue the conversation, Shouyou threw his toy on the floor.

“Sorry Shou-chan,” Chinatsu laughed. “We've been ignoring you.”

Akaashi was glad the conversation had been avoided but he guessed that wouldn't last for long. He should have known it was only a matter of time before he needed to tell Bokuto about his broken engagement.

But that was a story for a different time.

\---

It was late and Akaashi had left Chinatsu and Bokuto talking in the kitchen to find Hikaru. He ended up on the balcony where Hikaru was smoking.

“Uncle, you shouldn't smoke.”

“I know.” He didn't move to look at Akaashi, seeming unsurprised he was here. “And yet here we are.”

“You know I can never thank you enough for what you did for me in the past.”

“Don't start,” Hikaru commanded, waving Akaashi away. “I did what your parents should have. I gave you a choice.”

“You didn't have to, though.”

“It's what Natsuki would have done, I think. And it's what I would have wanted someone to do for me.” Hikaru sighed, putting out his cigarette. “And now I have the freedom to travel.”

“How's it going? Any leads?”

“None that mean anything. I'm starting to think I'll never find her.”

“Uncle… what if she's dead?” Akaashi offered hesitantly.

“Is it bad I kind of hope she is?” He asked before laughing bitterly. “Of course that's terrible. I'm just being selfish. I just hate to think that she’s out there somewhere and hiding from me. Hiding from Chinatsu.”

“I understand.”

“If she’s alive where is she? Is she okay? What if she’s being held against her will? What if she wants to be found?”

“I don’t know.”

“I know you don’t.” Hikaru sighed again, reaching over to put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder. “Don’t let me bring you down. You’re a father now and you have a beautiful son. I’m proud of you even if your parents can’t be.”

“Thanks.”

“I called Ryou-kun when your parents wouldn’t tell me what happened other than how you were apparently trying to get everyone killed.” Hikaru rolled his eyes at that. “He told me about what happened at that meeting and… well, I’m proud that you’re my nephew.”

“Thank you.” Akaashi smiled at the ground. “I’m… glad.”

“And Keiji-kun?” Akaash looked up at Hikaru. “Even if your parents try to say you’re not an Akaashi anymore, at the very least you’re welcome to be a Hayakawa.”

“That–” Akaashi's voice stuck in his throat as he looked down at his feet again, tears stinging the corners of his eyes. “That means a lot.”

Hikaru slid his arm around Akaashi's shoulders, pulling him into a silent side hug, wishing he'd done more for Akaashi.

\---

Chinatsu and Bokuto had been sitting in an unusual silence since Akaashi left to go talk to Hikaru. They were both sipping beers while they were lost in their own thoughts. It was Bokuto who finally broke the silence, but not with a loud declaration. Instead, his voice was quieter than Chinatsu had ever heard it before.

“Chinatsu-chan, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Was Keiji– Was it his parents who told him he was useless?”

“Yeah.” Chinatsu looked at her drink. “They didn’t see his ability as useful. The only way he’d be useful in their eyes was if he followed the strict path they’d planned for him. He’d become the Owl Sect’s master charmer and marry Ishiko Hana. They’d pretty much convinced him that was how he’d be useful.”

“Wait!” Bokuto blinked at Chinatsu, looking more confused than she expected. “Married–? Master charmer–? What?”

“Wait, has Keiji-kun never told you about what his parents had planned for him?”

“How could he? I only recently learned about magic.”

“That’s a good point.” Chinatsu bit her lip, feeling like it wasn’t her place to tell Bokuto this, but deciding to anyway. “Well, he had been accepted as the sect’s master charmer’s apprentice and—presumably—his heir. With that, he’d have power and a place in the sect that would be unmatched by anything his parents had done. Because of that, he was betrothed to a woman named Ishiko Hana. The Ishiko family is a well-to-do family in the Owl Sect and would have awarded the Akaashi family even more credit. Hana-san is a nice young woman, I don’t think Keiji-kun would have been exactly unhappy with her. Probably not happy, though.”

Bokuto could accept that he was a better romantic match for Akaashi than an arranged partner, but the news that Akaashi was supposed to hold a title like ‘master charmer’ made Bokuto feel strange. It felt like he was holding Akaashi back. If Akaashi really didn’t care about the position, wouldn’t he have already told Bokuto about it? The only reason not to say anything had to be because he didn’t want Bokuto to feel bad. That had to be it, Bokuto was sure. Master charmer sounded like such a better job than owning some tiny secondhand and charm store.

“Koutarou-kun, what are you thinking?”

“Huh?” Bokuto looked up at Chinatsu, surprised to see a look on her face he’d seen on Nana’s face plenty of times. It was a look of someone ready to tell Bokuto he was being an idiot about something.

“I can feel the negativity coming off your thoughts. You and Keiji-kun are too alike sometimes.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but stop it.”

“I was just– Well, isn’t master charmer like a really good job? Am I holding Keiji back?”

Chinatsu raised an eyebrow at Bokuto and when he didn’t revoke his question, she barked out a laugh.

“Are you kidding me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sure, master charmer is a good position or whatever, but Akaashi would never have been happy there.”

“How do you know?”

“Koutarou-kun, I’ve known Keiji-kun since he was born and the last time I’d seen him smile before meeting you was when he was, like, nine. Even back then, he didn’t smile much.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Chinatsu shook her head. “Now he smiles so much more. When he told us about you he tried so hard to keep himself stoic but just saying your name made him smile a little bit.”

That was such a sad thing for Bokuto to imagine but he guessed that he hadn’t smiled much in his childhood either. Probably more than Akaashi, but at least at home he rarely smiled so he sort of understood.

“Without you and his other friends here in the city, I think Keiji-kun would have spent the rest of his life being resigned at best. But Suga-kun and Tooru-chan forced themselves into his life like they were forcing open a door. And you held that door open and let so much else in. So much good. Those Cats you’re friends with. Those two Modes. Shou-chan. Even the people in his past like me and Dad and Akaashi’s childhood friend were let in in a way we’d never been. You all did that for him because you never let him be like we did.”

“Don’t give us all the credit,” Bokuto smiled at Chinatsu. “You and Hikaru-san are the reason we got to meet Keiji at all. And I don’t know what I would have done without him either.”

“I guess it’s good for everyone that you two met,” Chinatsu laughed, reaching over to punch Bokuto lightly in the shoulder. “Now that’s enough deep talk. Tell me about your players.”

Bokuto smiled and shot off into retelling the game from earlier today in more detail than was strictly necessary and Chinatsu remembered how much she missed being surrounded by family. She wondered if maybe it was time for her to think about settling down. She wondered if she should find a place near Akaashi and Bokuto so she could visit more. She wondered if it was just the beer talking.

Either way, she was going to try to enjoy this visit as much as possible.


	14. There Are Things I Have to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi has never much liked surprised.

Akaashi found that his life had fallen into an easy rhythm. He'd wake up to at least one text from Bokuto and drag himself out of bed. He'd shower and sometimes even eat breakfast.

At nine he'd get to work and finish any charms that needed to be done. Usually, he'd have been texting Bokuto since the morning and would tell him to pay attention in class instead of texting Akaashi.

The shop opened at ten and somewhere around eleven thirty Sugawara or Oikawa—or both of them—would show up to lounge around and bother Akaashi. They'd get lunch around one then Akaashi would return to the shop. Depending on how busy Oikawa and Sugawara were, they might stay or they might leave.

If Bokuto showed up it would usually be around four and sometimes he'd just drop in to say hello but other times he'd stick around, often doing homework behind the counter while Akaashi helped him. If Sugawara or Oikawa was there they'd also help with subjects Akaashi wasn't very good at like the upper level physical classes Bokuto was taking and which Akaashi had never even seen before. Luckily, Sugawara was taking a lot of the same classes as Bokuto so they could work together. Oikawa would help with history because while Akaashi had always done well in history, he was never really sure how to help Bokuto, especially with specific events that Bokuto found too boring to study.

Akaashi would usually close the store between five and six—it wasn't like he had employees to pay, so it didn't really matter how late he was open—and if anyone was still around they usually grabbed dinner. Sometimes that meant going to the Family Mart down the street and eating in the backroom and sometimes they actually went out. If Akaashi was alone at the end of the night, he'd grab something easy and small—often an onigiri and a package of spicy cucumbers—from the 7-11 near his apartment and just go home.

He knew he could get used to this even if he also knew that he couldn't stay here for much longer.

Today was turning out to be a pretty average day. It was just past three and only Oikawa was left since Sugawara had a late class. Bokuto hadn't told Akaashi if he was coming to visit or not, but he rarely told Akaashi ahead of time.

It was too early for Bokuto to arrive so when the door jingled Akaashi put on his best customer service face. It wasn't a great one since smiling wasn't really his strong suit.

“Welcome to Hayakawa Antiques, how may I–” the words fizzled on Akaashi's tongue when he saw who it was. “Mother? Father? What are you doing here?”

Behind him, Oikawa sat up, his body tense and his face unhappy.

“Is that any way to greet your parents, Keiji-kun?”

“Sorry,” Akaashi said as he ducked his head. “I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting you.”

“We have some great news and we had to pass through here anyway, so we thought we'd bring you the news in person.” Naoko stepped up to the counter, finally seeming to notice Oikawa. Akaashi knew that wasn't the case, though. There was no way his mother wouldn't notice the Magic. “Hello, I don't think we know each other.”

“Oikawa Tooru of the Castle Sect,” Oikawa said with a bow and a bright smile that would charm just about anyone. Unfortunately, Akaashi Naoko wasn't just anyone.

“Castle Sect? Haven't heard of it, must be a small one. How do you know Keiji-kun?”

“He helps me around the shop,” Akaashi cut in before Oikawa could answer.

“And what do you do, Tooru-kun?”

“I make deliveries,” he told them, the look on his face one Akaashi had seen before.

Last time he'd seen it, Oikawa had been about to tell off someone in the sweetest way possible. It had been impressive to see someone use compliments and smiles to tell someone to fuck off—this particular gentleman had been harassing Akaashi nonstop for the entire time they'd been at that party—but he didn't really want to know what happened when someone told his mother to fuck off.

“I’m so glad to finally get to meet you both. From what I hear, you're accomplished Magics.”

“Thank you, it's nice to know someone can tell great Magics from lesser ones.”

“Yeah, I know Akaashi-san,” he nodded at Akaashi's father, “that your mind reading ability is quite strong.”

“I've been told that,” he responded, looking uncertain.

“Are you sure you have complete control of it, though?”

“Excuse me?”

“It's just, it feels a lot like you're trying to read my mind. So either your control isn't what it used to be or you're such a condescending person that you truly believe any Magic would be without basic mental protective charms.” He took a step around the counter, his smile never faltering as Akaashi tried to decide whether this was better or worse than a passive aggressive fuck you. “I don't care who you are, don't insult me by trying to read my mind like some sort of defenseless child.”

Oikawa didn't wait for any response, instead, he headed towards the exit without giving the Akaashi's a chance to respond.

“Keiji-kun, I'll bring Bokuto-san's delivery to his place and apologize you can't see him in person today.”

“Thank you,” Akaashi called after him as the door closed and he took a deep breath, ready for his parents to begin complaining.

“What a rude boy.” Naoko shook her head. “You should hire better people.”

“He's reliable,” Akaashi told her, ignoring the part of him that wanted to point out that reading strangers’ minds was rude. “It's not easy to find a Magic willing to make deliveries.”

“Weak Magics need jobs too,” She conceded with a shrug, nearly breaking Akaashi's silence. Oikawa could be an asshole but he wasn't a weak Magic and he was Akaashi's friend. “But we're not here to talk about him.”

“What are you here for?” Akaashi asked, doing his best to sound happy that they were here.

“You've made it to the final round for the apprenticeship.” Naoko smiled, looking almost proud of Akaashi. “And we need a final charm to submit.”

“Of course,” Akaashi's mind was already working as he tried to think of a good charm to submit. Something impressive. Something that would prove his worth as a Magic to a man he barely knew. “Give me some time to find the right object.”

“We'll wait,” Naoko said as Akaashi came out from behind the counter. “We'll be leaving before dinner, but that gives you a few hours.”

Akaashi knew he wouldn't need it. The biggest thing he had going for him was the speed of his charms. A charm that could take someone an hour of constant concentration took him fifteen minutes. Simple charms took him about as long as it took to speak the charm.

A fire charm would do it. Elemental charms were easy to do but hard to do well and fire was the hardest to control. If he could make a powerful and easy to trigger fire charm, he'd be in the clear. But what would be the best to attach it to?

A ring. It had to be a ring. But the only ring with good resonance in the shop was the black ring on his middle finger that meant so much to him. He'd had it for years since Kaori bought it for him.

He'd been in his second year of junior high school and it was around that time Kaori had started to hit a lovely point in her life called puberty, which had thrown her emotions into chaos. Akaashi understood, his emotions had been more unstable as he became a teenager, but it wasn't that terrible for him since he was used to suppressing his emotions.

But the other thing that happened was Kaori suddenly had a keen interest in her classmates. Often a less than PG interest. Kaori and Akaashi we're really each other's only friends so she'd gone to him for advice, which led him to the realization that he had no clue what she was talking about. He also realized that it wasn't her that was thinking strange things. Instead, he seemed to be the strange one.

Using the magic of the internet, Kaori had introduced him to the idea of asexuality and while he didn't like the finality labels had, he'd agreed it seemed to fit for now. For his birthday that year, Kaori had bought him this ring saying if he didn't feel comfortable wearing it, that was okay. He'd worn if at first because it was a gift. Then, slowly, he'd realized it meant more to him than anything he owned. It was part of him as much as it was a reminder of his friend.

Was it worth giving it up just for a chance at the future he needed? Yes. He didn't want to give it up but Kaori would understand. And, he'd probably be able to get it back eventually.

“Give me a bit to charm this,” Akaashi said as he headed to the back room.

“Of course,” Naoko said with a careful smile. “No need to worry about us.”

Akaashi nodded before disappearing into the backroom, ring in hand. First, he took a fine brush and some white chalk-based paint so he could draw a focus rune on the ring. The rune would be washed off after the charm was complete and wasn't necessary to begin with, but it would help Akaashi focus the charm in one spot on the ring. It would also stabilize the charm.

Akaashi loved charms. They were his lifeblood and the thing that made him worthwhile to the people in his life, but also they made him feel like he was more equal to the people in his Sect who were considered powerful. Elemental abilities were seen as high tier abilities, but with a little time and a lot of energy, Akaashi could create charms that would put him on par with them. They might even make him more powerful than the weaker elementals.

When he came out of the near-trace he was in, Akaashi saw he’d been at it for over twenty minutes. That was longer than charms usually took him and he was drained, feeling like he was about to fall over as he stood and found a box for the ring.

“Here you are,” Akaashi said as he stepped out of the back room, doing his best to not visibly sway. “Careful with it. It shouldn’t go off without intent, but you should still be careful.”

“What did you decide on?” Yuudai asked. “For your charm?”

“A focused fire charm. It should be powerful enough to impress anyone.”

“Let’s hope so,” Naoko said, her voice sharp. It cut through Akaashi’s calm confidence and made him feel like he was nine again. “Otherwise, I have no idea what you plan to do. Stay here?”

“I–”

“I hope you’re not letting these city people make you lose sight of what’s important.”

“Of course not.” Akaashi ducked his head, hating the prick of tears in his eyes as much as the feeling of his charms weakening as his emotions tried to project themselves.

“That’s my good boy,” Naoko said, her voice turning sweet as she pat Akaashi on the head. “Now, it was good, but we need to head home. We’ll call you when a decision is reached.”

“Thank you,” He said, bowing to hide his eyes.

“We’ll be seeing you, then, Keiji-kun.”

“I’ll see you soon,” Akaashi responded as the door opened and closed and he let a few tears drip from his eyes. Only after nearly a minute of standing still did he straighten out head to his phone.

Unsurprisingly, he had texts for multiple people.

_From Oikawa Tooru: Sorry if I made things worse for you… Just really can’t stand magics like that._

_From Oikawa Tooru: Texted Taro-chan but he’ll probably want to know what’s going on, he seemed worried. I didn’t think you wanted me to explain to him._

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi?! Are you okay?_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Oikawa-kun sent a weird message_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: He said I shouldnt go to the store_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Are you ok? Did I do something?_

_From Sugawara Koushi: Oikawa-kun told me what happened. If you want to get drunk or something, just tell me and the three of us can have a good night._

If his mother saw this would he agree that his friends were bad for him or would she say that Akaashi didn't deserve such great friends?

_To Oikawa Tooru: It's fine, don't worry about it. They deserved it. Thanks for texting Bokuto-san for me._

_From Oikawa Tooru: Your parents are assholes. Whatever they said to you is bullshit._

_To Oikawa Tooru: Thanks._

If his mother saw how Oikawa acted with him would she say he’s a rude person or too kind to Akaashi?

_To Sugawara Koushi: I know you have a date tonight. Don’t cancel for me, I’ll be fine. They didn’t stay very long._

_From Sugawara Koushi: Are you sure?_

_To Sugawara Koushi: I’m sure. Maybe this weekend we can do something, though._

_From Sugawara Koushi: Okay, sounds good. But if you need anything tonight, don’t worry about calling. Daichi is great but you’re important too._

_To Sugawara Koushi: I will. Have fun on your date._

If his mother saw the way Sugawara worried about him would she complain about his friendship with a sect-less fugitive or complain that he should be strong enough not to let people worry so much?

_To Bokuto Koutarou: Sorry, I was busy._

__From Bokuto Koutarou: Are you okay?_ _

__

_From Bokuto Koutarou: What’s happened?_

__

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Do you need help?_

__

_To Bokuto Koutarou: I’m fine, don’t worry. Just had some people in the shop I didn’t want you to run into._

__

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Who? Are they gone? Are you sure you’re okay?_

__

He could only imagine what his mother would say about Bokuto. A sensitive Mode who seemed to care more about Akaashi than anyone else in the world.

__

Before Akaashi could ponder that thought further, his phone started to ring, startling him enough that he nearly dropped it.

__

“Hello?”

__

“Akaashi!” It was Bokuto. “Sorry if this is weird, but I was worried and then you weren’t responding anymore and I was worried the people came back. It wasn’t those guys you chased off, right? Do you need me to help you? Do you need me to call the cops? Do you–”

__

“Bokuto-san,” Akaashi interrupted, his voice quieter and weaker than he expected. “I’m uninjured and unthreatened.”

__

“Oh.” Bokuto sighed with relief. “I was so worried. Sorry if I’m being weird.”

__

“No, it’s fine.” Akaashi smiled despite himself but the smile faded quickly as he felt waves of inadequacy wash over him. He didn’t deserve this friendship. He didn’t deserve any friendship. He needed to pay attention to his future otherwise he’d never prove–

__

“Akaashi?”

__

“Sorry, Bokuto-san, I’m a little distracted.”

__

“Are you… are you sure you’re okay? You sound a little upset.”

__

“Oh, umm–” Akaashi’s words stuck in his throat, the feeling uncomfortable and unfamiliar. “This visit was unexpected.”

__

“I’m sorry,” Bokuto said without even asking Akaashi what had happened. “Whatever it was, I’m sorry.”

__

Akaashi felt something in the pit of his stomach that felt almost like he needed to throw up but it also wasn’t exactly a bad feeling. He didn’t know how to reconcile this feeling with who he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to feel. So, instead of thinking about them—and like was the norm lately—his mouth opened, moving faster than his brain.

__

“Can I come over?”

__

“Huh?”

__

“I just–” Akaashi paused to catch his breath, trying not to let himself cry. He didn’t like crying when other people could see or hear him. “Please?”

__

“Of course!” Bokuto sounded like he couldn’t decide between being excited and worried. “You know where it is. If I’m not home by the time you get there, you can always ask Kuroo-kun for a spare key!”

__

“Oh, you’re not home yet.”

__

“No, but I’m on my way home. Do you need me to pick you up? Are you fine getting here on your own?”

__

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Akaashi hated the size of his voice, it was too small. Like him, it was barely noticeable. “I’ll meet you there.”

__

“Okay.” Bokuto hesitated, not wanting to be the first to hang out. “Akaashi, no matter what, I’m here for you.”

__

“Thanks, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi responded, feeling just a little bit better. “I’ll see you soon.”

__

“See you soon.”

__

Akaashi was the one to hang up because after a few long seconds of silence he realized Bokuto wouldn’t be the one to do it. There was something about that need for Akaashi to end the conversation that made the weird feeling in Akaashi’s stomach even worse. Or, since it wasn’t a bad feeling, did it make it better?

__

Akaashi pushed those thoughts out of his mind, deciding to deal with them another time. Right now, he let his body move on its own while he did his best not to think about what the hell he was doing.

__

\---

__

When Bokuto arrived at his apartment, Akaashi was waiting outside.

__

“Kuroo-kun wasn’t home?”

__

“No,” Akaashi lied. He never checked because he didn’t want to talk to Kuroo right now.

__

Bokuto had texted Kuroo to ask if he was home after their call so he knew that was a lie. He also didn’t care much.

__

“Bokuto-san?”

__

“Yeah?”

__

“Can I– Can you–” He shook his head. “In the library… You said…”

__

Connecting the dots, Bokuto gathered Akaashi into a tight hug, the smaller man melting into the embrace because he felt like he was slowly losing control of his life and emotions but in Bokuto’s tight grip, he felt a little more stable.

__

“Thanks,” Akaashi said into Bokuto’s shoulder. “Can we go inside?”

__

“Sure.” Bokuto let go of Akaashi and led him into his small apartment. “Do you want to sleep? Or eat? Do you just want to sit?”

__

“The couch is fine.” Bokuto could tell Akaashi’s vulnerability was slowly starting to congeal into a wall. He knew that reaction well, had been on the other side of it befote, and yet he has no clue how to stop it. He wasn't even sure he should want to stop it.

__

“Sure.” Bokuto sat down on the couch and Akaashi sat next to him but he quickly leaned over, the top of his head nearly touching Bokuto’s thigh.

__

Akaashi pulled his legs up to his chest—when did he take his shoes off?—and curled his arms around them. Bokuto hesitantly reached out his hand and after a few moments of uncertainty, he went for it and rubbed Akaashi’s back gently. Akaashi was amazed by how gentle the touch was, given the sheer size—both physically and emotionally—of Bokuto.

__

“If you want to talk about it we can. But we don’t have to either.”

__

“My parents showed up suddenly.”

__

“Oh.”

__

“My parents–” Akaashi's voice caught. He didn’t want to talk about his parents. He didn’t even know how to talk about his parents.

__

“You don’t have to tell me,” Bokuto said honestly.

__

“Really?”

__

“I get it, don’t worry.” Bokuto had a smile on his face but it was wistful, if not a little bit bitter. “I’m not a very good student—you know that—and I used to get in trouble a lot. I'm bad at controling my emotions, you know that too. In my first year of high school, I got in a lot of fights. My parents… they never knew how to handle me. They didn’t want to handle me either. Most of my life my big sister took care of me because I was too much. So… I get it.”

__

“I just…” Akaashi swallowed hard. “Can you just talk? About anything.”

__

Akaashi didn’t want to think. He didn’t want to think about the way Bokuto made him feel. He didn’t want to think about how stupid it was that he’d come to Bokuto’s apartment. He didn’t want to think about how the thought of his future filled him with dread. He didn’t want to think about how all his emotions were conflicted and confused in a way that they’d never been before. He just wanted to listen to someone else and forget he even existed.

__

“Of course.”

__

“Thank you.”

__

“You don’t need to thank me,” Bokuto told him. “This is what friends do.”

__

Akaashi wanted to thank him again. Wanted to insist that friends shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of bullshit. He wanted to insist that there was no reason for them to even be friends because Bokuto was too good for him, but there wasn’t time for that because Bokuto had already started talking.

__

“I was going to tell you this today anyway, so I have to tell you what happened this morning!” His voice was bright and happy, like everything in the world was okay and nothing could ever be bad.

__

Akaashi loved it.

__

“So Kuroo’s friend was over, his name is Yaku-kun—I know him from volleyball too but like not that well. Well, he brought his cat with him, a big lanky thing called Lev which is weird because they had another teammate named Lev on their volleyball team. Yaku-kun was always so hard on Lev, always working him hard and stuff. Kind of mean to him, but like in a friendly way. Like teasing him a lot. He’s like that with his cat too, which is the funniest part. It’s like the cat is Lev…”

__

Akaashi listened to Bokuto’s story about his Kuroo’s friend’s cat and how Bokuto was a little unsettled by the cat because it seemed weirdly human. That story turned into another one about volleyball and all the dumb stuff Kuroo and Bokuto would do in high school when their teams practiced together during training camps. Those stories turned into stories about other things and Akaashi could barely follow them after a while, his mind calming down as he listened to Bokuto’s voice. The rises and falls were intense and yet it was still soothing.

__

Akaashi didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know what he was going to do. He didn’t know what to do about the feeling in the bottom of his stomach when he thought about Bokuto. He didn’t know what to do with the feeling of fire that Bokuto’s hand left on his back or the fuzzy warmth it left when he ran it through Akaashi’s hair. He didn’t know what to do with all these emotions fighting to explode from him in a way they hadn’t tried to in over a decade but, for now, he felt calm. He felt safe. He felt like somehow, everything would be okay.

__


	15. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Over yonder, a mountain is cast in shadow. The shadow is the fault of the sun and yet the sun is the only way to dispel it.

“How’d the appointment go?” Sugawara asked as Bokuto pushed open the door and the entire Akaashi-Bokuto family entered the Sawamura-Sugawara house.

“He’s perfect!” Bokuto said, earning him an eye roll from Akaashi.

“The doctor said Shou-chan was healthy but maybe a little small for his age. But he said he’s still young enough that it’s nothing to worry about.”

It was October now and summer had easily turned to fall, the year going too fast for Akaashi’s liking. It seemed like only yesterday he was at home, feeling like a child despite his age and independence. Now he hadn’t spoken to his parents in nearly ten months and he had a happy sixteen-month-old. 

This doctor visit was a little overdue, but Akaashi and Bokuto had to figure out how to convince the registry to not ask too many questions about where Shouyou came from. They had no clue if Shouyou had any of the vaccinations children his age needed, so they’d had to make a new vaccination plan with their doctor to get him up-to-date as quickly and safely as possible. 

“So the doctor was nice?” Sugawara was on the floor with Tobio, who was playing with some stacking cups. He couldn’t quite get the hang of stacking them but he was trying really hard. 

Since Tobio had come home, he’d become much more comfortable and started to smile more. Akaashi guessed he was a more anxious baby that he appeared to be and that his earlier intense unhappiness was a product of that more than anything else. 

“Yeah, he was really understanding. He didn’t ask any probing questions and seemed to just have Shou-chan's best interest in mind.” Bokuto took Shouyou from Akaashi, falling the floor next to Tobio to let the two play together. “He did say we would probably be asked to pick one last name for Shou-chan once he starts school.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Akaashi watched as Shouyou grabbed for one of Tobio’s cups, the younger boy pulling it away before he could. “He said that a lot of families with hyphenated names are asked to pick one for the forms since it’s quite a mouthful to say Akaashi-Bokuto-kun.”

“I guess Sawamura-Sugawara-kun is kind of hard to say,” Sugawara laughed. “Isn’t that why we still go by our original family names? I mean, it’s kind of why I do.” 

“I just don’t know what name to use. I don’t really want to pick,” Akaashi said with a sigh. 

“We should use Akaashi,” Bokuto said. “Akaashi Shouyou is a cute name.” 

“Bokuto Shouyou is too,” Akaashi countered. “And I don’t really want Shouyou to have to live with the Akaashi name. Especially once he knows more about magic… it’s just… the Owl Sect abandoned him. I’d rather he not be associated with them any more than he has to be. Especially not since my mother wanted him dead.”

“What?” Bokuto’s entire body was still, fear dripping into his eyes and his voice. “Dead?”

“You didn’t tell him?” Sugawara said as Sawamura appeared with drinks. “Akaashi-kun, seriously?”

“I guess I didn’t realize I hadn’t.” Akaashi also thought it was pretty obvious. People wanted Shouyou dead. His parents didn’t like that Akaashi had taken Shouyou. The pieces fit together pretty easily in his mind. “But, yeah, my mother at least does. I never really know what my father is actually thinking. But Mother voted to have him killed and she made it pretty clear she wouldn’t talk to me again until that was what happened.”

“Is she– Would she–” Bokuto was searching for words he didn’t want to even think.

“Is she dangerous?” Akaashi supplied and Bokuto nodded. “No, I don’t think so.”

“But is Shouyou in danger? From Magics, I mean.”

“Possibly. But for now, we don’t even know how many people know about him. We know the Owls and the Crows know about him, though we don’t really know how much the Crows actually know about him. Oikawa-kun hasn’t heard anything from the Castles so we don’t think they know. Same goes for the Cats. Those are the only sects we have tabs on so I can’t say for the others.” 

“Let's not worry too much about it,” Sugawara insisted. “We're all working hard to keep Shou-chan and Tobio-chan safe.”

“If you say so…” Bokuto seemed unconvinced.

“I do.” Sugawara smiled widely. “And I know what we can do about names? We should just pick new family names for them!”

“I doubt they'll allow that,” Akaashi told him with a raised eyebrow.

“Whatever, it'll be fun. Let's come up with names for them!”

“Ooh, I know what Shouyou's should be!” Bokuto exclaimed. “Get me some paper.”

Bokuto scribbled out some messy kanji that Akaashi looked at for a long time before attempting.

“Hi… mu?”

“What? No!” Bokuto pointed out the two kanji. “Hinata! Hinata Shouyou. He's like the sun and we found him somewhere far away!”

“I love it,” Sugawara squealed before Akaashi could say anything. “What about for Tobio-chan?”

“Hmm…” Bokuto stared at Tobio for a long time before writing something down. 

This time it was Sugawara's turn to try and slog through the two kanji.

“Eiyama?” Sugawara asked, trying to use the pronunciation he least expected since he'd been really surprised by 'Hinata’.

“No… though that sounds cool too.” Bokuto pouted. “You two are bad at this.”

“Well, what's this one then?” Akaashi asked.

“Kageyama!” He smiled. “Kageyama Tobio!”

“Huh,” Sugawara thought for a moment before smiling too. “I like it. How are you so good at this?”

“What's the point of learning all these kanji if I can't have some fun with them?”

“Good point,” Sugawara said before turning back to Tobio. “Hey baby, did you hear that? You’ve got a new last name.”

Tobio looked at Sugawara quizzically before turning back to his stacking cups. Currently, he was trying to stack the biggest cup on top of the smallest and couldn’t seem to understand why it didn’t work. 

Shouyou giggled and then Akaashi felt all his charms on the boy break without so much as a warning. Before he could make a single emergency charm, his mind was filled with a string of confusing images. 

Writing on the wall of Shouyou’s room in red that said ‘let the demon die’. Shouyou older and with the boy who had to be Tobio, punching Tobio in the face. A woman who looked exactly like Akaashi’s mother but who Akaashi knew wasn’t her. Scores of people dropping to the ground as Shouyou cowered, Tobio standing nearby, looking scared and angry. Shouyou and Tobio playing with kids around their age, all of them seeming content. The same scene Akaashi had witnessed once of an early teen Shouyou and another boy—now he was sure that it had to be an older Tobio—getting in an argument and Shouyou running. Akaashi and Bokuto’s house, still and with no signs of life because on the floor were the lifeless bodies of Akaashi, Bokuto, Sugawara, Sawamura, Oikawa, Shouyou, and Tobio. The same house, but they were all alive and happy, having a birthday party for someone. 

Then the vision abruptly stopped and Akaashi found himself gasping for breath as tears spilled out of his eyes and onto the carpet. When he regained his senses, he felt a hand on his back as was surprised to find it was Bokuto. But then he realized the charms protecting Bokuto had held and so he’d been saved from the visions. Akaashi was definitely glad now that he’d decided to make a seemingly unnecessary number of charms for Bokuto. 

Nearby, Sugawara also looked like he was going to be sick. He had one hand on his forehead and another over his mouth. Sawamura was sitting on the couch just above Sugawara, looking dazed.

“What’s wrong?” Bokuto asked. “You all just lost it.”

Before Akaashi could answer, Tobio started to cry loudly and was soon joined by Shouyou. Sugawara still looked a bit shaky as he pulled Tobio into his lap, rocking them both and whispering the boy. Bokuto picked up Shouyou while Akaashi tried to find something he could charm quickly, just to be sure Shouyou didn’t have another vision.

He ended up just charming a toy like he always ended up doing when an emergency struck, handing it to Shouyou after he’d stood on unstable legs. 

“What’s going on?” Bokuto asked again once the two babies had quieted down.

“Shou-chan had a vision,” Akaashi explained. “It broke all his charms and the rest of our protection charms. You were spared because I keep you pretty heavily charmed against magical attacks. It was just… a lot.”

“Should we be worried?” The sight of Akaashi kneeling over like he had intense abdominal pain while he breathed heavily was stuck in Bokuto’s mind. Akaashi’s tears didn’t even need to be saved in his memory since Akaashi’s eyes and cheeks were still wet. 

“It’s difficult to tell what is probable, let alone what will happen. Even well-trained Magics with foresight have trouble picking out the most likely futures. We got a rush of a lot of different possible futures and some of them were… bad.” Akaashi could still see Bokuto lying on the ground, presumably dead. He could see the scores of people falling to the ground while Tobio and Shouyou remained unharmed. “They could all be true and they could all never happen. It’s impossible for us to tell give Shou-chan’s lack of control.” 

“So you’re okay?”

“Yeah.” Akaashi smiled weakly at Bokuto, reaching out to touch his cheek. “I’m okay.”

“Are you both okay?” Bokuto asked Sugawara and Sawamura. 

“I’m good,” Sugawara said weakly and Sawamura just gave Bokuto a thumbs up.

“We should probably head home,” Akaashi said. “I have new charms to make and I think we could all use some rest.”

“Sounds good.” Sugawara swallowed dryly. “Text me when you get home safe.” 

“We will,” Akaashi nodded, feeling like things would probably be better after a good night’s rest.

\---

Akaashi was really looking forward to sleep as they headed home but when they saw their front door, all thoughts of sleep left Akaashi’s mind. 

The door was ajar and Akaashi had a bad taste in his mouth.

“Stay close to me,” Akaashi said to Bokuto before whispering a simple offensive charm onto his ring. 

They crept into their house, Akaashi calling out into the seemingly empty space. 

“Whoever is in here, you can come out. We won’t hurt you if you don’t hurt us. You can even take whatever you want. You want money? I’ll give you money. I just don’t want me or my family to be hurt.”

Akaashi waited almost five minutes but nothing stirred in the apartment and he sighed, feeling like the people had left. 

“Okay, let’s see what’s gone.” 

But nothing was missing in the living room. The only damage was to Kashi, who’d been knocked over and split in two. 

“You check the bedroom, I’ll put Shou-chan to bed,” Akaashi said, feeling so tired. This was pretty much the worst time for something like this to happen.

“Sounds good,” Bokuto said, handing the half asleep baby off to Akaashi before heading to their bedroom. 

When Akaashi opened the door to Shouyou’s bedroom a few things happened. First, he felt his mind go numb. Then his legs nearly gave out. Lastly, he heard a scream that only later he’d realize had come from him. Bokuto came running, calling out to ask what was wrong but Akaashi’s eyes were glued to the wall above Shouyou’s crib, his entire body shaking uncontrollably. 

There, written in red paint that looked uncomfortably like blood and punctuated with a knife from their own kitchen were words that on their own would have been disturbing. What was more disturbing was that this was the second time Akaashi had seen them today.

Let the demon die.


	16. My Life is Set in Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny days were beautiful and they were good at hiding darkness but it couldn't stop it.

Bokuto had a way of coming to the shop when Sugawara and Oikawa were lazing around, bothering Akaashi about this and that. Maybe that was because of how often the two of them were at the shop and maybe it was because of how often Bokuto was at the shop, but either way, it made Akaashi's life into a nonstop suggestive look from Sugawara and Oikawa.

“Akaashi!” Akaashi was sure Bokuto was trying to see how loud he could be before Akaashi—or more likely, his neighbors—complained. “Tomorrow is going to be really sunny, we should go somewhere!”

“Huh?” Akaashi blinked at Bokuto, not sure where this had come from.

“Tomorrow let's go somewhere fun! We could take the train to the bay or go see a baseball game or go to a park.” As usual, it took Bokuto until he was at the counter to notice Sugawara and Oikawa. “Oh, hi Suga-kun. Hi Oikawa-kun.”

“Hello Taro-chan,” Oikawa said with a finger wave. “What’s this about a beach trip?”

“Well, it doesn’t have to be the beach! Really anything would be fine but I need to do something fun!” Bokuto threw himself down on the counter, looking at Akaashi with pleading eyes. “It’s going to be so nice and I want to do something.”

“Why do I have to go?” Akaashi asked, earning him a punch in the arm from Oikawa.

“Aka-chan don’t be rude.” Oikawa smiled at Bokuto. “Our Akaashi is just too shy to say that he’d love to.”

“Really?” Akaashi sighed at the excitement in Bokuto’s voice. There was no way he could let him down now. “It’ll be so fun! Meet me at the train station at ten. No nine. No! Eight!”

“Wait!” Akaashi called but Bokuto was already gone and so was his hopes for sleeping late the next morning.

This meant he’d probably have to get up at six. Well, he’d probably get up a seven but he should get up at six. That was too early for him and he was going to take his revenge on Oikawa for instigating this and getting Bokuto riled up.

“Now, Akaashi, don’t do anything rash,” Oikawa said when Akaashi turned to look at him.

“Rash? Who said anything about being rash?”

“You know, you shouldn’t be angry, I was just helping you.” Oikawa took a step away from Akaashi, looking at Sugawara for help but he just smirked and shrugged.

“Who said anything about being angry?” Akaashi asked, tilting his head to the side. “I was just thinking about that time that you set me up with a friend of Iwaizumi-san’s despite my asking you not to and then it turned out he thought I was a woman.”

“That was an honest mistake and you can’t be angry–”

“I told you, I’m not angry.” Akaash smiled just slightly and a shiver ran through Oikawa. “I was just thinking about the time you made a dating profile for me without my knowledge, then tricked me into going on a blind date with the creepiest man I’ve ever met.”

“Akaashi, it was an accident!”

“Or how about when–” Akaashi’s phone beeped and when he glanced down, he saw it was Bokuto.

Bokuto had been the one to add himself to Akaashi’s phone—thanks to Oikawa stealing his phone and handing it over to Bokuto—so the picture wasn’t of Bokuto but of a random owl.

_From Bokuto Koutarou: I got excited_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Sorry_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Are you even free tomorrow?_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: You can cancel if you want_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Sorry…_

_To Bokuto Koutarou: It’s fine. I was just surprised. I am free tomorrow. I’m not going to cancel._

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Really?!_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: I’m happy!!!_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Eight at the train station?_

_To Bokuto Koutarou: Eight is a little early. How about nine?_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Sure!!! 8D_

“Who’s that?” Oikawa asked, even though he and Sugawara were pretty sure they knew. Akaashi wasn’t nearly as smooth as he thought he was.

“Bokuto-san. He was worried I was upset with the plans I didn’t agree to.”

“How sweet,” Sugawara said. “And what did you say?”

Akaashi turned away from his two friends, pretending to get back to work writing out part of a charm even though he wasn’t really getting much done.

“I told him that eight was too early and that we should meet at nine.”

Oikawa and Sugawara squealed like the teenage girls they were and then started making plans about what Akaashi should wear. Akaashi didn’t bother reminding them it wasn’t a date because he knew by now that that was a futile endeavor. Instead, he continued to pretend to work on the charm, a small smile still on his face.

\---

He ended up convincing Oikawa and Sugawara not to go too crazy with his outfit and general look. This wasn’t a date so Akaashi thought the two of them needed to calm down.

They ended up ok-ing an outfit for him that was a simple white, short-sleeved button-up and a pair of black and white pants in a swirling sort of floral pattern. The shirt was his but the pants belonged to Oikawa and Akaashi really wished they hadn’t been forced on him. He knew that if he didn’t wear them, though, Oikawa would find out somehow and he’d never hear the end of it.

It was easier to wear them so that’s why he did and not because they made his legs look good.

Akaashi was late to the train station because he’d woken up late and then it took him too long to decide whether he should wear a hat or not.

In the end, he’d opted for no hat, though it was sunny enough that he thought it might have been a good idea. At the very least, it would have been nice to keep his eyes shaded a little.

When he arrived, Bokuto was already waiting, looking impatiently excited which was unsurprising.

“Bokuto-san, sorry for being late,” Akaashi apologized, bowing to Bokuto. “I got a call from a customer.”

“It’s okay, Akaashi,” Bokuto said with a smile, slapping Akaashi on the back hard enough that Akaashi thought he was going to throw up for a second. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“Me too,” Akaash responded, wondering if he meant he was happy he was here or happy Bokuto was. “So, what’s the plan?”

\---

The ended up going to the city. It was a bit far—an hour and a bit by train—but it was worth it since the day was beautiful and warm. Bokuto seemed to love looking at the bay, so they spent almost an hour just sitting and chatting.

Then they went to an arcade where Akaashi was annoyed to find the machines had unlucky charms on them. Akaashi could have simply neutralized the charms, but he was angry at the Magic who owned this place so instead, he reversed as many charms as he could to be luck charms.

Bokuto won a howlet plushie before talking to Akaashi about the Pokemon game it was from for thirty minutes. Akaashi hadn't played a Pokemon game since Ruby and Sapphire—the game and the Gameboy Advanced had been given to him by Hikaru and Chinatsu, much to his parent's chagrin—so he enjoyed learning about all the new Pokemon.

Next, they stopped by a cafe to get something to drink and eat. Mostly they wanted to get out of the sun because the day was getting hot. Akaashi was worried Bokuto might get sunburned but Bokuto kept assuring him he was 'too strong to get sunburned’.

Akaashi still made him put some sunblock on his face and arms because freckles were already appearing on Bokuto's arms. Akaashi hadn't even known Bokuto got freckles, but after Akaashi asked him Bokuto said that just like his strange hair, freckles were common on his mom's side.

The day was a lot of fun and even though Akaashi hadn't expected anything less, it was still strangely surprising. On the train home, Akaashi and Bokuto fell asleep with their heads leaned together. Luckily, Akaashi woke up just in time to get them off at the correct station.

As they walked away from the station, Akaashi was aware they were walking too close to each other and he didn't know what to do. He knew he should put more space between them but he found he didn't want to.

 

“I go this way,” Akaashi said unnecessarily, pointing down the road opposite the one Bokuto was taking. “Today was good.”

“Umm, before you go…” Akaashi could have felt the nervous anxiety coming off of Bokuto even if he wasn’t sensitive to intense emotions. That said, he was sensitive to intense emotions and Bokuto was radiating nervousness like it was his job. “I wanted to… umm…”

“Bokuto-san, what is it?”

“I got you a present!” He shouted, clumsily pulling an equally clumsily wrapped box from his bag. “I hope you like it.”

Akaashi found himself just staring at Bokuto, unable to comprehend why Bokuto had gotten him a gift. He felt emotions swirling in his stomach that terrified him. They were all the wrong emotions, all the ones he shouldn’t feel. All the ones he couldn’t feel. Not about Bokuto. He knew he should reach out and politely take the box. He should thank Bokuto and put it in his bag unless Bokuto insisted he open it—which he probably would—then he’d thank Bokuto politely and plan to get Bokuto a gift or a card in return. He shouldn’t be letting Bokuto look more and more uncertain. He shouldn’t be doing what he was doing but the fear in his mind and the admiration in his stomach were fighting for control and they had left him motionless.

“Sorry, I guess you don’t–”

“Why?” Akaashi interrupted, honestly bewildered.

“Why?”

“Why would you buy me a gift? It’s not my birthday. There’s no holiday. Why would you buy me this?” His voice was too sharp. Too aggressive. He didn’t know what to do about it because he seemed to have no control. He had so little control left in his life. “I don’t understand.”

“Well, because you’re my friend.” Bokuto looked lost for words but unlike Akaashi when he was in the same position, Bokuto attempted to explain. “And, I guess, I saw this and thought of you. I wanted to get it for you and there wasn’t any holiday coming up so I thought I might as well give it to you now.”

“But we barely know each other. Why would you get me a gift?”

“Well… we’re friends.” Bokuto’s voice fell to a near whisper. “Right?”

Something snapped in Akaashi. Something he didn’t even realize was there. It seemed to be a thin support beam, keeping a flood of fear and anger and confusion at bay. He’d never noticed how fragile it was but now it seemed like such terrible support. How could he have ever expected it to hold back not just the happiness and love and joy in his life but also the pain and anger and confusion and sadness?

But, of course, it hadn’t snapped talking to his parents, who he might have been glad to bombard with his bare emotions. He hadn’t snapped with Oikawa or Sugawara, who would be worried but who would see his snap as the end of an inevitable path he’d taken of trying to be a constantly even-keeled person. It hadn’t even been with Kaori, who would have understood so much better than anyone else and you have probably tried to hug him or something, not taking any of it personally.

Instead, though, he snapped talking to the one person who didn’t have the background necessary to understand his snap. He snapped at the person who was most likely to blame themselves for Akaashi’s anger. Akaashi had to snap at the person he found he suddenly cared the most about in the world.

“You don’t know me!” Akaashi’s voice was loud—too loud—and it wasn’t right. “You don’t know anything about me!”

“Akaashi–”

Akaashi’s shoulders were pulled up almost to his ears, his eyes scrunched shut and his head down. But when Bokuto reached for him, Akaashi’s eyes flashed opened and he took a step back, shaking his head.

“How can you stand there and pretend we’re great friends when you don’t know anything about me? You don’t know if I have siblings. You don’t know if I’ve ever dated anyone. You don’t even know where I’m from!”

“But, Akaashi–”

“What right do you have to burst into my life and make everything messy? I don’t want to feel messy!”

“Akaashi, please listen to me.”

Akaashi felt a little like crying but he didn’t because he hated crying in front of people. It was the one thing in the world he truly hated. When he looked up at Bokuto, there was fear in the other man’s eyes and Akaashi didn’t know if that was the fault of his out of control emotions poisoning Bokuto’s mind or because Bokuto was actually afraid of him. He wasn’t sure which option was worse.

“I don’t really know what you mean about things being messy and I’m sorry if I did that but… I don’t need to know everything about you to care about. You mean so much to me.”

“But why? How could I mean anything to you? What have I ever done but cause you trouble?” At some point, this had twisted from anger at the way Bokuto made Akaashi feel to anger at himself for ever getting Bokuto involved in his life.

“Trouble? What do you mean? You’ve never done that.”

Bokuto took a step towards Akaashi but he just took another step away, afraid of what his mind was doing.

“Why would you even stick around?” Akaashi’s voice dropped as he forced himself not to cry and also tried to force himself to calm down. He was definitely failing the later. Soon he’d fail the former. “I’m useless! I’m nothing and I don’t know why you’re still here.”

“Useless?” There was actual anger in Bokuto’s voice which Akaashi hadn’t expected. “Who told you that?”

“Why does it matter? It’s true.” Akaashi cursed himself for not shutting up. He was saying too much and he needed to stop before he said anything else he’d regret later.

“It’s not true, though. You’re not useless. You helped me with those assholes who were fucking with me. You hang out with me even though I’m annoying. You’re one of the only people not to look at me differently after seeing me breakdown during a game. You mean so much to me and I don’t know who’s been telling you that you’re useless, but you’re not.”

“I have things in my life that I have to do. That’s how I’ll be a little less useless.” Akaashi shook his head, his voice bitter. “And you can’t be a part of that. I don’t know how to feel when you’re around and I can’t– that won’t– everything– My life is set and if you stick around you’ll just end up confusing me even more. Or worse, you’ll get hurt. No matter how much I care about you—no matter how much I want you to stay, I can’t let any of that happen.”

“Akaashi–?”

“I’m sorry.” Akaashi shook his head, knowing his ramblings were all over the place. “Just leave.”

“I’m not going to leave.”

“Just fucking leave!” Akaashi shouted and when he looked at Bokuto there was genuine shock and pain in his face and that was enough for Akaashi.

He turned and he hurried down the street towards his apartment, turning down a shortcut as fast as he could and when he didn’t hear Bokuto following he stopped, realizing that he’d screwed up so badly and that this was why he was such a failure to everyone.

Now that he was alone, Akaashi slid down to the ground, too tired to care about how dirty it probably was. He pulled his legs up to his chest and cried into his knees, hating himself for crying when he was the one who’d created this problem.

Bokuto had tried to give him a present for god’s sake and what had he done? He’d shouted at him. Like a child—a vindictive and just generally mean child—he’d lost his temper with the first person in a long time who’d made him feel truly comfortable in his skin.

He’d told Bokuto that he didn’t know anything about him but wasn’t that the very reason Akaashi felt so great talking to him. He knew Bokuto didn’t want anything from him but for him to be him. He didn’t want a charm. He didn’t want notoriety. He wasn’t just pretending not to mind the ice Akaashi’s personality was.

Was the feeling in the pit of Akaashi’s stomach love? Yes. Was it romantic love? He wasn’t sure. Was it a problem? Maybe.

He missed Bokuto already.

“Wow, when I felt that spike of magic I didn’t expect to see such a big lover’s quarrel.”

Akaashi was on his feet the moment the other young man started talking, his brain catching up quickly to the fact that the young man smiling at him was Sakashima Isumi. And, of course, Seguro Akihiko and Hiroo Kouji were behind him.

“Now is really not the time,” Akaashi said even though he was immensely scared right now. Three against one wasn’t great odds, especially since he didn’t have any offensive charms ready. “So I’d step away if I were you.”

“You know, I don’t think I will.”

Akaashi was quick, but Seguro and Hiroo were quicker and right now they were sharper than Akaashi too. His mind felt tired and dull and hearing that his magic had spiked did sort of explain that. He had probably been using his ability at almost 100 percent the entire time he was shouting at Bokuto and generally having a meltdown.

Either way, one came up on his left and Akaashi spun around, only to have the other come up on his right and grab his arms, leaving him defenseless.

“Wow, three against one. You are so brave.” Akaashi hoped Sakashima would take the bait.

“I guess you’re right.” Well, that was one win for the day. “Let’s make it a fair fight then. You and me. No magic.”

“Fine,” Akaashi agreed, mostly because he had zero chance against all three of them. He had a sliver of a chance in a one-on-one fist fight.

Seguro and Hiroo looked uncertain but they stepped away from Akaashi, moving behind Sakashima.

“How do I know you’ll play fair?” Sakashima asked, smiling.

“I could say the same to you,” Akaashi pointed out. “Guess we’ll have to take each other at our words.”

“I don’t put much stock in what an Owl has to say.”

“And I don’t trust a Snake, but here were are. Kuroo-san has informed me about you’re less than fair tactics.”

“It wasn't like we actually cheated,” Sakashima smiled, “we simply used human nature to our advantage.”

“Just because it's not cheating doesn't make it less shitty.”

“Fine, I guess we can agree to trust each other simply because there's no way for us to trust each other.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Then they stood in silence, both ready for a fight but neither making a move. Akaashi realized they were both more interested in keeping a defensive position and so it might be a while before either of them made a mode. Unless…

Akaashi didn't like cheating. He wasn't a fan of it. He also wasn't a fan of street fights or a fan of these snakes. Today he was also feeling pretty shitty. It wasn't his fault if some of his unstable anger leaked into Sakashima's mind.

He was careful to only let the tiniest thread of impatience and anger slide from him to Sakashima.

“Make a move, asshole,” Sakashima shouted and Akaashi shrugged.

“Why should I?”

“You think you're a big shot because your mom is someone but that bitch isn't anything special.”

Akaashi pulled back on the anger, turning his thread of emotion into impatience. He thought about how he wanted his life to hurry up and make sense. He thought about having to listen to chatty customers while waiting for them to make a purchase. He thought about how he felt whenever he was waiting for Bokuto to show up.

“More than anything, you aren't her.”

“Oh, trust me, I know I'm not her. She makes sure I remember that.” Akaashi snorted. “What's wrong Sakashima-san, too afraid to fight me after all that talk?”

“You're really annoying, you know that? Calling me ‘san’ like you have any respect for me.”

“Sorry, Sakashima-sama,” Akaashi said with a low, mocking bow.

“Son of a bitch!”

With that, Sakashima lunged at Akaashi but he easily stepped out of the way. Sakashima stumbled and nearly fell, turning to see Akaashi was smirking at him with a look that said it all.

“You tricked me!”

“Did I?” Akaashi asked as he moved in and hooked his foot behind Sakashima's knees, pulling his legs out from under him.

He was too close, though, and Sakashima was able to grab Akaasi's shirt, pulling them both to the ground together. As they fell, Sakashima was able to slam his elbow into Akaashi's jaw.

Akaashi was on his feet first, dancing away from Sakashima. His foot caught on an uneven part of the sidewalk and as he stumbled, Sakashima launched himself at Akaashi, landing a direct hit on his eye and sending Akaashi to the ground.

Akaashi was dizzy and tired, feeling like this was probably when he lost their fight. Akaashi struggled to his feet, only to be punched in the stomach by Sakashima. He fell to one knee and just as he thought he was going to get another punch in the face, someone started shouting and suddenly that someone slammed straight into Sakashima, sending him to the ground.

Shocked, Akaashi couldn't quite process what was happening but then the person stood and headed over to Akaashi. Once he was close, Akaashi's mind started to slowly put the pieces together.

“Akaashi! Come on!”

Before Akaashi could even think of an answer, the other person picked him up and practically threw him into a firefighter's carry. Then they were off running.

It seemed like ages when they finally stopped and put Akaashi back on the ground. As they caught their breath, Akaashi could only blink at the very tired Bokuto in front of him.

“Bokuto-san…”

“Are–” he gasped for air between each word, “You– O– K–?”

“I'm fine, are you unharmed?”

“Yep–” he paused to put a hand over his mouth like he was going to vomit but, luckily, he didn't.

“Please take your time. Sit down, I'll get you some water.”

Bokuto nodded and walked slowly to a bench while Akaashi headed over to a nearby vending machine, wondering how in the world this day has become so strange.

\---

“Thank you,” Akaashi said one Bokuto had regained his breath. “I wouldn't have won that fight.”

“Don't worry about it, I just wish I'd gotten there sooner.” He was looking worriedly at Akaashi's face, probably because it was already bruising.

“How did you find me? Why'd you even come after me?”

“I'd been such an asshole to you,” Akaashi thought but didn't say.

“It sounds weird, but I felt something weird. Like a familiar feeling that I can't explain and something made me want to check it out. That's how I found you.”

Akaashi wondered if Bokuto's sensitivity was more attuned to his magic and that's how he could feel Akaashi's small magic use during that fight.

“Well, I guess we’re even now,” Akaashi said quietly as he touched his face gingerly, feeling like he’d probably have a black eye soon enough.

“What do you mean?”

“I saved you from them and you saved me from them.” Bokuto was giving Akaashi a look he’d never seen on the other man’s face but he could read as Bokuto wondering if Akaashi was stupid. “What?”

“If you think stopping them from bothering me is the only thing you’ve done for me then you’re an idiot.”

Akaashi would never call Bokuto stupid—he knew some people might, but other than jokingly, he’d never say it—but he wasn’t exactly a genius. But now there was something in his eyes, something that seemed so much like wisdom that it was almost scary. Maybe it was just because this was more serious than Bokuto usually was, but whatever it was there was something about his look—and his words—that really broke through the last of the walls Akaashi had up.

Even after spilling everything, there had been a thin glass wall keeping him from fully letting himself accept the changes that Bokuto had created in his life. But now...

“I’m sorry, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said after a long silence. “I shouldn’t have shouted at you earlier and I should stop short-changing you.”

“It’s fine,” Bokuto said, so genuinely unworried that Akaashi didn’t know what to think. “It sorta scared me at first and I was sad but, like, I get it. Sometimes you break down. I do it all the time and you know what Kuroo and Konoha and Nana did? They stuck around and maybe slapped me around if I was being a big idiot, but they got that I wasn’t trying to hurt them even when I did.”

“You’re–” Akaashi shook his head, unsure how he’d made friends with someone so kind and accepting. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Do what?”

“Be you.”

“Me?”

“You’re so, so kind and you care so much about everyone. I don’t know how you can feel so many things without collapsing in on yourself because that’s what I did.”

“Hey, I collapse sometimes too. A lot of the times, actually. I mean, that volleyball game we played was meaningless and I still lost my cool because I was trying to impress you.”

“You were trying to impress me?”

“Oh, totally. I wanted you to think I was super cool and stuff,” Bokuto laughed. He paused before pulling out the messy package from earlier. “Can I give you the present?”

“Yes, of course.” Akaashi took it gratefully, unsure if he’d ever gotten gifts outside of his birthday. “Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

“Open it!” Bokuto insisted as expected.

Akaashi nodded and carefully undid the tape on the package to preserve the wrapping paper. Not only was that good manners, but he also found the paper cute. He hadn’t noticed earlier but it was covered in tiny owls, each cuter than the last.

Inside was a box and when he opened the box, there was a small figure much like the one Bokuto had bought from Akaashi. The only difference was this one was a horned owl.

“You found one,” Akaashi said, surprised first by that and then suddenly another thought came into his mind. “And you gave it to me?”

“I guess Kashi has a lot of friends now and he can wait to find a horned owl to be his friend.” Bokuto was blushing a little and fidging more than usual. “And I guess I thought you might like him…”

“I love him.”

Akaashi breathed deeply, took a few stepped towards Bokuto and, without thinking pushed himself onto his toes to press a kiss into Bokuto’s lips. Bokuto was quick to return the kiss, a feeling of happiness blooming in Akaashi’s stomach that he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt. It was strange and nice and different and…

Terrifying.

They broke apart and Bokuto blinked a few times, a smile on his face. Finally, he spoke.

“Akaashi, will you go out with me?”

But Akaashi had already been sucked back into his own mind. He was cursing himself for making rash choices and giving into impulsiveness. It was this kind of thing that would get him in trouble. He had things he had to do. Things that would finally make him worthwhile. And no matter how much he hated it, those things couldn’t include Bokuto.

Bokuto was a sensitive Mode who didn’t need to be mixed up with Akaashi, let alone the Owl Sect.

“I’m sorry,” Akaashi said, taking a few steps back. “I don’t– I can’t–”

And then he turned and ran because it truly was the only thing he was a good at.


	17. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fear was a powerful emotion and even though Akaashi had only just noticed the fear in his heart, he was getting sick of it.

Shouyou was struggling a bit in Akaashi's arms because of the tightness of his grip on the baby when Akaashi came back to his senses. Bokuto was tugging on Akaashi's shoulder and he finally let himself be dragged from the room and into the living room.

His mind was a mess and soon it would start to affect Shouyou since none of his charms were still effective. Akaashi only had one dampening charm left and he could feel it waning. He finally handed off the baby to Bokuto and looked at him with hard eyes.

“I am going to tell you what you need to do and you need to do it because Shouyou can't be near me right now.”

“What–?”

“Go to Sugawara's. Don't stop for anyone or anything.” Akaashi took off one of his two working charms, a defensive bracelet that was almost three years old. “This is easy to trigger. Even though you can't use magic Sensitives can activate charms. You’re not trained to do that, but I think if you concentrate on it while stressed, it will activate. It's a shield and while it's up nothing can get in or out except me. Call me immediately if you have to use it.”

“Akaashi–”

“Someone wants Shou-chan dead and I need you to be safe. Our house isn't safe.”

“But why do you need to stay?”

“Once my last dampening charm breaks I'll probably lose control of my ability. I don't want you here for that.”

“I don't want to leave you.”

“I know and if it was just you then I'd let you stay but this is about Shou-chan.” Akaashi took a deep breath before leaning up to kiss Bokuto. “I know you don't want to leave me, but I will be fine. I swear. If anyone comes back while my ability is out of control, they'll probably be incapacitated by the emotions.”

Akaashi hated his ability. Hated its instability. Hated his own instability.

“You swear you'll be safe?”

“I swear.” Akaashi looked at Bokuto seriously. “I never break a promise. Not to you.”

“I know,” Bokuto stood up from the couch and put on the bracelet. “I'll text when I get there.”

“As soon as I can, I'll meet you. When you get there, Suga will know what to do.”

Once Bokuto was gone, Akaashi let himself feel the varying emotions that he was keeping carefully locked away. His last charm broke and he knew he was probably broadcasting his position to any Magics in their neighborhood.

Fear was the main emotion he felt at first, his body shaking uncontrollably and he thought about what would have happened if they'd been home. He thought about how dangerous it had been for him to send Bokuto and Shouyou alone. He thought about how ill-equipped he was to protect Shouyou. He'd been chosen because he could protect the world from Shouyou but now Akaashi had to protect him from the world and he had no clue how he could. 

His ability was useless. He was useless. Why couldn't he be like his mother or like Chinatsu? Why couldn't he be like Shouyou or Tobio? Why did he have to be so unable to protect his family?

It wasn't fair. Shouyou was a baby. A harmless baby. The worst thing he'd ever done was throw a bowl of carrots across the kitchen. 

Akaashi was angry now. So, so angry. Because this wasn't fair or civil. Who had done this? Was it someone in the sect? An outsider?

_Is she dangerous?_

Could this have been his mother's doing? She's been clear about her thoughts. She hadn't tried to pretend she didn’t hate Shouyou. She knew where Akaashi and Bokuto lived.

Akaashi pulled out his phone and typed in the number he knew well even though they rarely called each other. But he'd stopped wearing his call ring and his mind was too fuzzy to think about finding it.

“Keiji, why are you calling?” Naoko asked when the call picked up. “Finally come to your–”

“Shut up,” Akaashi spat at her, done with being kind. If she'd had a hand in this, he would never forgive her. “What did you do? Who did you hire?”

“What in the world are you talking about?” She sounded genuinely confused.

“Someone tried to kill Shou-chan and I want to know who!”

“How should I know?” She asked.

“You want him dead! Don't try to play dumb.”

“First, Keiji-kun, you can stop shouting. I can hear you just fine.” Her voice was even and unconcerned. She was the real master of the constant poker face and Akaashi didn't know how she managed it. “Second, I did not ask anyone to kill that thing. I wish it was dead but the fact that you'd accuse me of disobeying a Sect decision is frankly offensive. Some of us aren’t so flippant about our sect.”

Akaashi anger dissolved as he realized she was right. He didn't like his mother. He might even hate her. But if she was anything, it was loyal to the Owl Sect. She was loyal to a fault and would never go against an official choice. Even if she genuinely believed killing Shouyou would save the entire planet, she would still never do it.

“I'll take your silence as agreement.” She sounded so smug to Akaashi even though he was sure to most people, it sounded like nothing in her tone had changed. “And unless you're going to apologize for everything you've done to me, I think I'll be going. Some of us have work to do.”

“Apologize to you?” Akaashi asked. “For what I did to you?”

Even a year ago, Akaashi might have caved and apologized. When he was 19? He would have already apologized. 

“Yes. You've ruined my life despite everything I've done for you.”

Akaashi blinked and then laughed, the sound startling even him. He laughed until his mother huffed out a complaint about his rudeness and hung up. He laughed—the sound edging on hysterics—until his phone rang and he saw Sugawara was calling.

Ruined her life? Everything she'd done for him? It all seemed so funny now, like so much of a joke, and he couldn't believe it.

He'd never been enough a part of her life to ruin it and she'd never done a single thing for him that hadn't been to help herself.

This was all such fucking bullshit but maybe that's exactly what he needed to come to terms with every shitty thing that had happened so far.

“Hey,” Akaashi answered his phone once his laughter died down. 

“Bokuto is here,” Sugawara said. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine. I'm going to head to you as soon as I make some charms.”

“Don’t tire yourself out,” Sugawara commanded. “And you should call Oikawa-kun or the Cats to come and get you. I don’t like the idea of you out there alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Akaashi said. “These people are after Shou-chan, not me.” 

“I guess you’re right…” Sugawara didn’t sound convinced.

“Call Oikawa-kun. Tell him to head to your house. I’ll call Kuroo-kun and Kenma-kun. We need to make a plan to protect Shou-chan and Tobio-chan.” 

“Okay… if you need anything you can call.”

“I know.” Akaashi paused before speaking. “Actually… I do have something to ask you and Oikawa-kun.”

“What do you need?”

“Kou and Shou-chan both need more protection charms. Shou-chan’s are completely gone and Kou’s are nearly broken. I’m mostly worried about Shou-chan since I don’t really know what he’s capable of. I’m worried about Kou because I just don’t know what is going to happen.” Akaashi took a breath, wondering if what he was thinking was stupid. “Also… I… can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Sugawara responded, sounding worried.

“I think… after this is over… I’m not going to keep renewing my dampening charms.”

“Really?”

“I just–” Akaashi knew this wasn’t the time for any of this, but there were some things he’d never said aloud that he felt like he needed to. “When I was younger I’m pretty sure the reason my parents– no, I know the reason my parents wanted me to stay heavily charmed was that they were disappointed in my ability. Instead of teaching me to control it, they tried to pretend it didn’t exist. I don’t want to live like that anymore. I want to learn how to control and use it instead of treating it as a nuisance. Just because the Owl Sect doesn’t think emotional abilities are worth their time, doesn’t mean everyone does. When this is over—when Shou-chan and Tobio-kun are safe—I’m going to find someone to help me.” There was silence from the other end of the call. “Am I being selfish?”

“No,” Sugawara said, the smile in his voice obvious. “I’m– this is great. I’m so proud of you.”

“R– Really?”

“Yeah. Now get your ass back here. I’ll call Oikawa-kun and start making some charms. You call Kuroo-kun and Kenma-kun. Does that sound good?”

“Sounds great,” Akaashi told him, a faint smile on his face. 

“And one more thing, Akaashi-kun.” Akaashi waited and Sugawara took that as an invitation to continue. “Thanks for trusting me.”

Akaashi’s smile widened and he realized that no matter how terrified he was of what was going to happen, he could at least feel confident in the fact that he really did have some of the best friends in the world.

\---

Maybe calling this meeting a war council was a bit melodramatic but, on some level, it felt like it was. They were all gathered at Sugawara and Sawamura’s dining room table, faces serious as the tried to decide where to start. Sawamura and Bokuto were the only ones who looked even a little unsure about this whole thing. 

“Do we have any idea who did this?” Sugawara asked when everyone seemed to be settled. The table was crowded—it was seating eight adults and two babies when it was meant for six people at most—so settling was difficult. 

“No clue,” Akaashi said, shaking his head. “I think it’s unlikely it’s someone from the Owl Sect. I don’t know everyone who voted to kill Shou-chan, but I know a lot of them and they’re loyal to the Sect. They’ll abide by the decision even if they don’t like it. I doubt the Crows would come after Shou-chan before Tobio-chan, so I think they’re out.” 

“Are we even sure they’re Magics?” Oikawa asked, grimacing. “They could be Hunters.”

“Hunters?” Bokuto asked even though he could sort of put the pieces together. 

“There are some Modes who hunt Magics,” Oikawa explained. “The Sensitives and the Holy Light. The Sensitives work with Magics to hunt dangerous Magics down while the Holy Light hunt down any Magics they can find.”

“The Holy Light hasn’t been active for decades,” Kuroo pointed out. “But the Sensitives have been burning a lot of bridges lately. The Cats and The Sensitives used to work together in this area, but lately, they’ve cut off contact with us as far as I know. If my sources are correct, they’ve even cut off contact with the Snakes.”

“That’s not a good sign,” Oikawa looked more concerned. “They were getting all their gear from the Snakes. They must have found a new supplier.” 

“Well, don’t you have the upper hand if they’re not Magics?” Bokuto asked, looking around the table only to find the Magics shaking their head. 

“First, the closest thing to an offensive ability we have at this table is Oikawa,” Akaashi said. “Also, as their name suggests, the Sensitives employ sensitive Modes. I wasn’t sure you could activate my charm because you aren’t trained to, but Sensitives train to do that. It’s almost like having an ability but no magic. Some of my most loyal customers are magic-aware sensitives. If it is The Sensitives, they’ll be equipped with plenty of offensive charms to use against us.”

“We need to set protection on this place,” Kuroo said. “Then we can think about how to stop them.”

“We should put up protections while we're getting ready, but we’re going to want to lure them in somehow.” Akaashi took a deep breath, trying to stay calm as his mind tried to come up with everything that could go wrong. “We should also put up more protection charms on the baby room. Kou, Daichi-san, and Iwaizumi-san should stay there with the babies.” 

All three men began arguing at the same time that they wanted to help, but Akaashi shook his head. 

“No, this will be the best way for you to help. Kou, you’re not trained to use charms so I can’t know you’d be able to fight with them. Iwaizumi-san, Daichi-san, you’re both Modes. If these are Magics, I don’t want you in the crossfire. We already have too many people who can get hurt.” Akaashi looked at all three of them with pleading eyes. “I don’t think any one of you is weak, but this isn’t about weak and strong. This is about you just not having the tools to fight this fight. If they somehow turn out to be regular Modes, you’re free to help out. But, I highly doubt they’ll be non-sensitive Modes. I’m still skeptical that they’re even sensitives, but either way, it’ll be too dangerous.” 

“Alright,” Bokuto was the first to concede, surprising Akaashi. The surprise must have been clear because Bokuto pouted a little. “What? I can think about stuff too. I’ve known about magic for a few months, I can see I’m in over my head. And I trust you.”

“Well, then,” Oikawa said with a strained smile. “Let’s get to work.”

\---

It was late that night and most of the house was asleep. After the protection charms had been finished everyone decided they were too tired to make any offensive charms tonight. Akaashi took the first watch because he knew he wasn’t about to get any sleep and Bokuto joined him, saying Akaashi shouldn’t be alone. He’d fallen asleep against Akaashi not even an hour into Akaashi’s watch and now Akaashi was sitting in the quiet baby room, darkness pushing on his mind.

Akaashi was worried not just because of a possible attack but also because he was wondering if Shouyou and Tobio would be forced to spend their whole lives in danger. If they beat these attackers, would there be more waiting? He wondered if they’d ever be able to have a normal life. Akaashi didn't know a lot of people with a happy childhood or a normal life but he’d seriously hoped Shouyou and Tobio could be some of the few to have a happy childhood at least. 

Akaashi felt a sudden pressure on his mind and he started to panic, wondering how they’d already found them. But when the person saw he had protections, instead of pulling away to try and remain unnoticed, they pressed harder and that was something that only untrained mind readers did. 

Akaashi turned to the babies—unfortunately, they’d been forced to put Shouyou and Tobio in the same crib since they didn’t have another one—and saw that Tobio was awake, his blue eyes wide and looking in Akaashi’s direction. Despite their direction, he didn’t seem to be looking at Akaashi. Instead, he appeared to be looking through him. 

Akaashi smiled and slid off the bracelet that was keeping his mind safe from invasion, allowing Tobio to find purchase and look around Akaashi’s thoughts. He was careful to remain positive, not wanting to upset the baby. 

He thought about Shouyou, seeing him laugh as he grabbed Sugawara’s necklace. He thought about Sugawara and Sawamura cooing over Tobio. He thought about Shouyou trying to stack Tobio’s cups when Tobio failed at stacking them, only for Tobio to slap Shouyou’s hands away. He thought about the way that Shouyou giggled at almost everything Tobio did. He thought about how Tobio’s smiles were small but cute.

Looking at both boys, Akaashi echoed something Nana had said.

“I can’t wait to see who you will both be.”

Tobio smiled a little and pulled out of Akaashi’s mind, finally content and willing to sleep. As he did, Akaashi put his bracelet back on, feeling just a bit more peaceful. He turned to shake Bokuto awake, starting to feel the day wearing on him. He wasn’t sure what time it was but he could feel himself getting too tired for even his worry to keep him awake. 

Bokuto woke with a start like he always did, his eyes suddenly wide and worried.

“Is everything okay?”

“Let's wake Suga-san,” Akaashi said with a smile, his hand absentmindedly rubbing up and down Bokuto’s arm to calm him. “We should get some real sleep.”

“Okay,” Bokuto responded, standing sleepily as the adrenaline that woke him up faded. “Keiji?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think they’ll be able to be happy?” He asked, his mind in the same place as Akaashi’s had been. 

“I think so,” Akaashi said honestly, glancing at the babies. “Even if things are hard… I think they’ll be happy. I think we’ll make sure of that.”

“I… I wasn’t happy a lot of the time.” Bokuto’s voice was quiet like he was telling a secret even though Akaashi and Bokuto had already talked plenty about their childhoods. “What if… What if…”

“Kou, these two have something neither of us had.” Akaashi put a hand on Bokuto’s cheek. “They have a family that loves them. Life is hard, and their lives will be harder than most, but we’ll be there to help them. We’ll be there to make it easier.”

“You're right,” Bokuto reached up to cover Akaashi's hand with his. “They're going to be great, aren't they?”

“I hope so.”

“Keiji?”

“Yes?”

“What if I can't put up the barrier?” Bokuto was looking at the ring Akaashi had given him earlier. “You said it yourself: I'm not trained. What if–”

“I know you can do it,” Akaashi interrupted, his face serious even for him. “Because you're the most talented person I know.”

“I'm no master charmer,” Bokuto shot back with a smile, his anxiety waning in the face of Akaashi’s seriousness.

“Neither am I,” Akaashi reminded him.

“You basically are,” he responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I mean, I find you pretty charming.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes, groaning and hiding his face in Bokuto’s chest. “I’m honestly surprised it took you this long to make that joke.”

Bokuto lifted Akaashi away from his chest to smile widely. “It wasn’t a joke.”

“You’re so sappy.” 

“So are you.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes again but he was aware he was smiling. “How did you come to that conclusion?” 

“Remember how we first started dating? Or do you need me to find the video?”

Akaashi repeated his groaned, returning to his hiding place of Bokuto’s chest, making him laugh too loudly for this time of night. And Akaashi was smiling because, in the end, there was nothing he wanted more than to protect this. He would protect this because no matter how much fear there was in his heart and in this house, love was more important.

Love was more powerful than fear and he’d fight for love no matter what.


	18. You Are Water and Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _From Sugawara Koushi: Akaashi I swear to god we’re going to knock down your door if you don’t respond to someone_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
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> _From Oikawa Tooru: Aka-chan, you’re worrying Taro and Suga now. You better respond to them. And me._
> 
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> _From Kuroo Tetsurou: What the hell Owl? Bo is freaking out what did you do? Answer him._
> 
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> _From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi please be okay_
> 
>  
> 
> _To Bokuto K, Oikawa T, Sugawara K, and Kuroo T: I’m fine._

His phone went off a lot. He could see it across the room, lighting up at every text. He really needed to turn it off but that would mean getting out of bed.

Oikawa and Sugawara stopped by during day two of Akaashi refusing to leave his apartment. He’d barely gotten out of bed in that time, only to go to the bathroom or to refill the bottle of water he had by his bed. 

He was aware of their voices outside his apartment door and he was aware of how worried they sounded, but he couldn’t really understand what they were saying. When they finally left he was glad because he didn’t need friends anymore.

He didn’t deserve friends. 

It was on the third day that he realized he hadn’t been eating and finally pulled himself out of bed more permanently, forcing himself to the kitchen to get something to eat. He also grabbed his phone, looking at the too many messages he couldn’t even imagine responding to. Akaashi honestly couldn’t understand why they all seemed to care so much about him. He didn’t deserve it. 

He didn’t even have it in himself to read every message—there were too many—so instead he skimmed through them. 

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi what happened? I’m really worried and also I’m sorry if I forced you_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Did you get home okay?_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Please I know I asked you out but let’s at least still be friends I don’t want to lose our friendship you mean so much to me_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Please even if you don’t want to be friends anymore just tell me that you’re okay_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: I’m really worried you haven’t read these maybe you’ve just blocked me but if not please tell me you’re okay that’s all I want_

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi please_

_From Sugawara Koushi: Akaashi-kun, what’s going on? Bokuto-kun is really worried about you. What happened? Please answer him._

_From Sugawara Koushi: Akaashi-kun? This isn’t like you, what’s wrong?_

_From Oikawa Tooru: Aka-chan, you’re worrying Taro-chan and Suga-chan now. You better respond to them. And me._

_From Oikawa Tooru: Akaashi-kun?_

_From Kuroo Tetsurou: What the hell Owl? Bo is freaking out what did you do? Answer him._

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi I’m really worried now this doesn’t seem like something you’d do_

_From Sugawara Koushi: Akaashi, please respond. Oikawa and I are going to come over and check on you soon._

_From Oikawa Tooru: We came to your apartment but you didn’t open the door??? Akaashi, please, you’re freaking us out. We’re going to call the cops soon if you don’t answer us!_

_From Oikawa Tooru: Please don’t be dead._

_From Bokuto Koutarou: Akaashi please be okay_

_From Sugawara Koushi: Akaashi I swear to god we’re going to knock down your door if you don’t respond to someone_

_To Bokuto K, Oikawa T, Sugawara K, and Kuroo T: I’m fine._

Akaashi sighed and ignored the new messages that came in with his text confirming he was alive, muting the conversation because he’d only sent the text to all four so it would be easier to ignore. 

He was eating a piece of slightly stale white bread when he was surprised by his phone buzzing. Akaashi looked at it and saw Bokuto had sent him one more message in their one-on-one chat. 

_From Bokuto Koutarou: I’m glad you’re okay… I guess you don’t want to be friends anymore but in case you do, well, I have a big competition today if you still want to come. I’d love to see you there. If not, that’s okay too. I’ll send the information just in case…… I’m sorry, I guess._

Akaashi’s chest was tight reading Bokuto’s apology. Bokuto shouldn’t be apologizing to him, it was Akaashi’s fault any of this happened. He should have been smart but he hadn’t, letting himself get swept up in feelings that could never amount to anything in his life.

His life was set in stone and there was nothing he could do to change it.

As if the universe heard Akaashi’s thoughts, his ring started to burn, telling him his parents were calling. Without putting on lights or even thinking about his appearance, Akaashi took the ring off and answered the call.

“Mother, Father.” He nodded at them both, pretending he didn’t look like shit. 

“Keiji-kun, are you alright?” His mother asked.

“I’m fine.”

“Your face is bruised!” 

“I got in an unfortunate fight. But other than the bruise I am unharmed.”

His mother shook her head, “Those Modes are animals. This is why you should–”

“It was three Magics, actually,” Akaashi interrupted. “And it was a Mode who saved me from getting more injured.” 

His mother didn’t respond, instead looking at him like he had two heads. That was when Akaashi realized he’d interrupted her while she was talking. And not just had he interrupted her, but he’d done so to correct her. He’d never interrupted his mother and he very rarely corrected her. 

After a few more moments of awkward silence, she coughed and regained her composure. 

“Magics then…” She shook her head. “You’re alright?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Well, that’s good.”

There was more quiet between them and so Akaashi raised an eyebrow.

“Did you call for a reason?”

“Oh, yes, of course!” His mother perked up. “We have great news.”

“Really?”

“You’ve officially been accepted as the new apprentice charmer. You’ll start as soon as possible.” 

He wouldn’t describe his feelings on his life as happy, that was something he’d been aware of for a long time, but now it had become worse than that. Now he was unhappy and he was trying to ignore the feeling but it wasn’t working so now he was… resigned. 

“That is… positive news,” Akaashi said, finding hard to even say that. 

“It’s great news,” His mother repeated. “And Ishiko-san has agreed to the proposal. You and Hana-san will be married once you finish your apprenticeship.” 

There were words stuck in Akaashi’s mind he couldn’t shake. Something Sugawara had said to him before he met Kuroo.

_‘Are they your plans or plans for you?’_

“I always hoped you’d make us proud,” His mother said sweetly, the words stinging more than any insult she’d ever thrown at him. And there had been plenty of those over the years. “I’m so glad you’re finally able to do something for the Akaashi family.”

Oikawa had asked him something similar the second time Akaashi had run into Kuroo and Kenma.

_‘Is it the future you want?’_

Akaashi looked down at his phone which had lit up again with the information from Bokuto about his competition. It would be starting soon and even if he left now he’d be late. It was a pool play competition not knock out but it was important for Bokuto’s team. They had to win at least three-quarters of their matches today if they wanted to be seeded in the collegiate finals. Akaashi had been looking forward to going. 

“We think it would be best to find someone else to run the charm shop so you can come start your apprenticeship immediately. I’m thinking that maybe Kaori-chan could take over, even though her charms aren’t all that great.” 

It was all or nothing with them. You were useful or useless. You were good at things or bad at them. It was all black and white to them. It was all about what a person could do for the Sect. 

“You two were always such good friends. It’ll be nice for both of you to finally find your place in the Sect, even if hers is not inside the Sect. You both grew up better than any of us expected.”

There was something that Bokuto had said too, only three days earlier.

_‘You mean so much to me and I don’t know who’s been telling you that you’re useless, but you’re not.’_

“It’ll be good for you to be home too, I think those city people are putting strange ideas–”

“Mother, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to apologize to Ishiko-san for me.”

“What?”

“I can’t marry her.” Akaashi’s hands were clenched into tight fists, his mouth moving faster than his mind could think. And yet, his impulsive words didn’t feel wrong like usual. 

“Why not?” His mother sputtered, his father behind her looked shocked for the first time in Akaashi’s life. 

“Well, first I will be turning down the apprenticeship with the Master Charmer.” Akaashi’s face was mostly neutral, but there was a bit of a grin forming on his lips. “And second, I have a boyfriend.” 

His second statement was a bit presumptive. More of a hope than a fact, but his mother didn’t need to know that. 

“You have a– Excuse me?” His mother’s voice was shrill but Akaashi didn’t care. He didn’t need her approval.

“Which reminds me, I need to be going.” He stood, leaving the ring on the table. “He has an important event today and I’m going to be late. I’ll talk to you another time. Oh, also, please tell the Master Charmer I'll be coming to get my ring back. The black one I submitted for the final round.”

“Keiji-kun?” Her question was shouted but Akaashi was barely listening.

“I really love that ring,” he said, mostly to himself as he turned away from the table.

“Keiji, do not walk away from me.” 

But Akaashi had already stood and headed to his bedroom to pull on some new clothes. He did so quickly, getting his things together as fast as he could so he wouldn’t be any later to Bokuto’s game than he already was going to be.

“Akaashi Keiji, if you walk out of this apartment, you’ll be throwing away your future.”

“No,” Akaashi said, stopping just close enough to the ring that he knew his mother could see him. “These were never my plans, they were yours.”

“Keiji!” 

“Sorry, Mother, but I’m turning 20 soon and it’s time I think about my future.” 

He didn’t wait to hear what his mother had to say. He had a volleyball game to see. 

\---

 

They were already on the second set when Akaashi arrived and Bokuto’s team was losing. It wasn’t by much, but it was enough. 

Akaashi knew he looked like a mess. He hadn’t showered in a few days and he hadn’t taken the time to brush his hair so it probably looked even messier than usual. He was sure there were bags under his eyes that made it look like he hadn’t slept in the past year. His clothes were clean but wrinkled and he was slightly out of breath since he’d practically run here from the bus stop. 

Bokuto’s team had just taken a timeout and Akaashi found himself moving without thinking, without caring. He ran to the railing and leaned over to get a good look at Bokuto. He looked upset, like his mind was somewhere else, and Akaashi wondered if that was his fault or if it was just because the game was going poorly.

Akaashi didn’t really care why Bokuto was looked down. He didn’t really care about how he probably looked like a lunatic right now. He didn’t care about much because, honestly, he was happier than he’d been in a long time. 

He took a deep breath before shouting at the top of his lungs.

“Koutarou!” 

A lot of people looked in his direction but Akaashi didn’t care. The only person he cared about right now was Bokuto and when he turned to look at Akaashi all Akaashi could do was smile. Bokuto’s face cycled through so many emotions—panic, confusion, excitement, and then confused excitement—that Akaashi was worried he’d maybe made a bad choice. But it was too late for that. Once this timeout was over, Bokuto would be serving and Akaashi didn’t want Bokuto to worry about anything except this game. 

“I never answered your question!” Akaashi took another breath. “Yes!” 

Bokuto blinked at Akaashi, all his teammates looking either annoyed or confused. Akaashi saw Bokuto say ‘yes’ with a questioning look on his face and Akaashi sighed. 

“Please go out with me!” 

Bokuto's eyes widened and his mouth turned into a smile before he let out a shout and gave Akaashi a thumbs up. Akaashi smiled back at him before finally letting self-consciousness take over and he looked around sheepishly. Around him, Modes were looking like they were trying to work through some confusing emotions and Akaashi nearly apologized to them. 

He sank down into an empty seat, blushing deeply as he realized what he’d just done. 

His phone buzzed in his pocket but he ignored it, instead focusing on the game. Bokuto was up and his first serve was a service ace, making him even more excited. Akaashi just hoped he didn’t get too excited. Just as Bokuto was setting up for his next serve, Akaashi’s phone started to buzz wildly. 

Pulling it out he saw that he had multiple texts from Oikawa and Sugawara, all of which gave Akaashi a bad feeling as he opened the message and saw the first text had been from Kuroo. There were no words, just a video and Akaashi didn’t have to watch it to tell what it was. 

He looked around the room, finding Kuroo and Kenma quickly. Kuroo had a shit eating grin on his face and when they made eye contact, he waved at Akaashi, phone in hand. Kenma looked up at Akaashi and gave him a thumbs up before looking back down at his phone. 

Akaashi’s blush deepened as he looked at Oikawa and Sugawara’s texts, which were mostly excited shouting. He was surprised one of them wasn’t trying to call him right now, but he was glad for it. He bit his lip, putting his phone away so he could watch Bokuto as he realized that for the first time in a long time, he couldn’t stop smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI this final flashback scene was like the second scene I planned for this fic. It's kind clichéd but I love it so fite me ^v^'


	19. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When I thought I understood the world,_   
>  _You were the one who showed me something new._
> 
>  
> 
> _When I was resigned to the ground,_  
>  _You showed me the stars._
> 
>  
> 
> _When my life was set in stone,_  
>  _You were the wind and the water._  
> 

Sugawara and Kenma sat up straighter at the same time, worry in their eyes telling everyone what they were about to say.

“Someone’s coming.” Kenma was the first to speak. “They’re heavily charmed.”

“Everyone get in position,” Oikawa shouted, heading towards the baby room to warn Iwaizumi and Daichi.

Bokuto stood, Shouyou held tightly in his arms, and leaned over to give Akaashi a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Be careful.”

“Of course.”

Bokuto nodded and hurried to the baby room just as Oikawa returned. 

“Does everyone have their charms ready?” He asked, looking around at each of them, waiting for them to nod. “Akaashi, we’re depending on your shield.”

“It’ll hold.” As he said that, he felt the shield he’d given Bokuto go up and he breathed easily. He had been worried he’d have to be the one to go and put it up, which would have been a drain of energy he didn’t want. That type of shield takes a lot of energy to activate and while he had relatively high magic reserves, that shield would have taken him down by at least half. Now he just had to focus on the much smaller shield that he’d put up in case of a direct attack by whoever was now heading towards the front door. 

“100 meters,” Kenma called, him and Sugawara standing in the kitchen which was the most insular part of the home. Kuroo was at the back door while Akaashi and Oikawa were near the front door. “75 meters.”

Oikawa put a hand on Akaashi’s shoulder, “We’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure.”

“50 meters.”

“I believe in all of you.” Akaashi glanced at Oikawa as he said that. “I really do. Nobody will touch those boys.” 

“25 meters!”

Akaashi nodded and turned back to the door, raising his hand. On his palm, he’d draw a few focusing runes and had—with the help of Sugawara and Kenma—charmed the ink with a small protection charm. It wasn’t any easy charm to make successfully, but it was easy to activate and it was strong. Most energy was spent upfront in its creation, so using it wouldn’t drain Akaashi. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very long lasting shield.

“5 meters!” 

Almost immediately after Kenma’s last call, the door flew open and revealed an average looking man with short black hair and dark eyes. He was wearing a necklace, six rings, and two bracelets. He stepped into the living room, looking too calm. 

“You must be Akaashi Keiji,” he said, his voice smooth and unconcerned. “And Oikawa Tooru.”

“And who the hell are you?” Oikawa asked, sounding equally unconcerned despite he’s aggressive question. 

“You may simply call me Ai.” Ai looked behind him and two more people walked in. “This is Mai and Jack.”

Mai was a tall, thin woman with a permanent smirk on her face. Her long black hair was straight and neat, unconstrained by any hairbands. She was wearing a large necklace and two rings—one on each hand. Otherwise, she seemed unencumbered. 

Jack was a slightly odd looking man, but not because of his light, half-shaved hair or his brilliantly green eyes. Instead, there was something odd about his expression. While Mai’s smirk was a bit unsettling, it still seemed normal. Jack wasn’t even smirking, instead, he seemed to be smiling like this was a simple visit with friends. He was wearing two rings, a necklace, and a small hoop earring. Akaashi wondered where they got so many charms. 

“Who are you?” Akaashi asked, wondering why they hadn’t attacked yet. 

“We’re what’s left of the Sensitives.”

“What’s left–” Oikawa blinked, disbelieving. “But there were nearly a hundred in the Sensitives just last year.”

“93 to be exact, yes.” As Akaashi focused on Ai’s unsettling calmness, he found that it was not so much calmness as it was a still sort of anger. “About 30 of them split off to revived The Holy Light.”

“The Holy Light?” Oikawa sounded understandably concerned. 

“Don’t concern yourselves with them, they have limited resources and no contacts. They pose no threat to you.” Akaashi didn’t know why Ai wasn’t just attacking them. Why was he chatting with them like this? “10 members decided our services were no longer needed and have retired. 30 other members decided to form a new group with a different constitution after a disagreement about the treatment of life and death perception. The last three, the only three who can still say they’re part of The Sensitives, are the people you see here.” 

Akaashi focused on the other two—Jack and Mai–and found their emotions were not the happiness that he’d expected. No excitement. No desire for a fight. Jack was mainly sad, with a bit of insecurity and fear mixed in. Mai felt disgusted and impatient, but for what Akaashi wasn’t sure. Probably for this to be over. Probably for Shouyou and Tobio to be dealt with.

“You’re here for Shouyou and Tobio, right?” Akaashi asked, never lowering his hand.

“We are. They are dangerous.”

“Well, then we’re at a bit of an impasse,” Akaashi said, smiling in the hopes of hiding his growing anxiety and fear. “Because you’re not going to lay a hand on either of them.”

“I’d hoped to do this without a fight but, oh well.”

Ai shrugged, but Akaashi had seen the twitch of his hand reaching for his necklace and his shield came to life just as fire exploded from Ai’s necklace.

“You must understand the danger those children pose!” 

“They are harmless babies,” Akaashi responded as Sugawara, Kenma, and Kuroo ended the room to stand behind his shield, ready to attack when the time was right.

“For now!” Ai’s fire started to taper and so did his calm exterior. “But they won’t be babies forever! Life and death perception will be our end if we let it bloom.”

The fire stopped and Akaashi let his shield fall. Kuroo and Oikawa stepped forward, ready for their first attack when suddenly there was a loud noise that filled the house. It was high pitched and Akaashi’s head felt like it was going to explode. He collapsed to the ground, grabbing his head, barely able to pay attention to what was happening around him. 

Sugawara and Kuroo had dropped too. Only Kenma and Oikawa were still standing but they looked like they were in pain. Mai made a run for the hallway but Oikawa turned, a grimace on his face as he focused on the ground just in front of Mai. Before she could make it to the hallway and then to the baby room, the woods floors exploded into a small forest, blocking her path. Akaashi would have been more amazed if it wasn’t for the pain in his head.

Kenma turned to look at Jack and then Akaashi noticed he had taken off his earing and was holding it in front of himself. Ai had his hands over his ears, obviously not as unaffected as Mai and Jack. 

Kenma took a few slow steps forward and pulled the necklace from below his shirt, pulling it off his neck and holding it in front of him. After a few moments of concentration, a gust of wind flew from it, knocking Jack over and sending his earing flying in the other direction. The moment it was out of his hand, the noise thankfully stopped. Some charms could continue even without constant energy input, but obviously, this one hadn’t been built like that. And it was a good thing, too, because there was no way they would have been able to win a fight while that noise was ongoing. 

“Motherfucker!” Jack said. “God I hate all you with your high and mighty ideals. Have you watched your friends die at the hands of a death perception user? No? Then you shouldn’t get to make this choice.”

“Ability doesn’t decide a person’s future,” Kenma told them, raising his hand with another offensively charmed ring on it, but nothing happened. 

Akaashi felt strange like everything had gone quiet. He didn’t notice charms on anyone and he couldn’t feel anything but the fear growing in his own mind.

He’d felt this before when he was in first year of elementary school and a school guard voided his out of control magic. 

“Watch out!” Akaashi shouted, “It’s a void!” 

But Jack had already taken a few steps forward, drawing a knife and swinging at Kenma, who stopped the swing with his arm. Jack smiled, letting the knife drop so he could grab Kenma’s hand and pull it down, a sick snap making Akaashi wince and Kenma cry out. 

“Son of a bitch!” Kuroo jumped at Jack but he caught Kuroo’s stomach with his foot, sending him tumbling backward. 

Akaashi tried to step in, but Ai punched at him, Akaashi barely getting out of the way in time. 

“Get Mai!” Akaashi shouted to Oikawa and Sugawara. “She’s voiding the magic in the room.” 

Ai’s fist made contact with Akaashi’s jaw, sending him to the ground, gasping for air and trying to regain awareness of the world around him. It had been a long time since he’d been punched so squarely in the jaw. 

“I know you’re angry,” Akaashi said as he stood slowly, just barely dodging Ai’s next attack. “But killing a baby isn’t going to bring back the people who were killed. You’ll just be adding two more to the body count.”

“You talk a lot,” Ai said, easily dodging Akaashi’s attack.

“Maybe,” Akaashi shrugged. “And you fight too much.”

Akaashi took another hit, luckily only in the arm, and huffed in pain. This wasn’t going to go well if someone didn’t stop Mai soon.

\---

Jack brought his foot up to slam down onto Kuroo’s head, Kuroo surprised to find only fear in the young man’s eyes. He didn’t have much time to consider that fact, though. He had just enough time to think about how he was sure this was the end, though, until something obscured his view and took the blow meant for him. 

“Kenma!” He shouted, realizing Kenma had just taken a direct hit to the chest. “Asshole, leave him alone!”

“You people started this,” Jack said, his hands shaking. Suddenly there were tears in his eyes that spilled onto his cheeks. “I didn’t start this!” 

Kuroo struggled to his feet, stepping in front of Kenma who was conscious but having difficulty breathing. 

“Well, I’ll end it.”

\---

Sugawara was the first one to make it to Mai, his fist surprising her as it made contact with her cheek. Her necklace fell to the ground but the void didn’t end.

“Fuck!” She shouted, turning to look at Sugawara. “Can’t you just accept that this is going to happen.”

“It is not going to happen.” Sugawara slid into a fighting stance, ready for her next attack while also trying to figure out how he’d destroy that necklace. They needed to bring down this void if they wanted a chance at winning. These three were just better fighters and out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends having their asses handed to them. “One of those babies is my son and I won’t let you near him.” 

“Well, aren’t you special.” She lunged at him, hooking a leg around his ankles and sending him to the ground. “What about the friends and family I lost?”

Sugawara shook his head, “I don’t know what to tell you. I lost my sister to people who… they weren’t good. They nearly killed me.”

“Then you understand!” She looked hopeful.

“I do but…” She shook his head again. “I never tried to kill anyone over it.” 

“That’s too bad,” she said, but she didn’t sound like she meant it. She tried again, but she still had no conviction in her tone. “That’s too bad.”

She was about to kick Sugawara in the side when Sugawara, and everyone else, felt their magic return. Before she should turn around, Mai was surrounded by more trees from the floor, their trunks wrapping securely around her arms and legs. Behind her, Oikawa was smiling widely, bits of a crushed necklace beneath his foot. 

“Sugawara,” Oikawa pointed towards Kuroo and Kenma. They were both receiving a pretty bad beating from Jack, who seemed to be crying as he did it. “Give them hell!” 

Sugawara smiled and stood, pulling off the necklace he’d worn for years and holding it two hands in front of him. He was careful to line it up only with Jack, then, he opened his mouth.

 **“BACK.”** Sugawara’s voice was booming and JAck was send stumbling backward, looking at Sugawara with fear and sadness truly the only things left in his eyes. **“YOU WILL CEASE THIS BEHAVIOR.”**

Jack was shaking as Sugawara stepped towards him and soon he collapsed, terror the only thing his mind could hold onto. Sugawara finally made it to him and crouched down, taking the necklace and placing it around Jack’s neck. 

**“YOU WILL NOT MOVE.”**

He nodded and Sugawara smiled, standing and looking at everyone. Even Akaashi and Ai had stopped their fighting—much to the pleasure of a pretty beat up Akaashi. 

“What was that?” Ai asked. “I’ve never seen that charm before.”

“It’s a command charm,” Sugawara told him with a smile. “Laced with a fear charm. It was a parting gift from my sister.”

“A fear charm… hmm… that must make the command charm stronger.”

“It does,” Sugawara agreed. “Now, stand down. You’re the only one left.”

“Never.” 

Akaashi could feel the anger only getting worse in Ai’s mind, obviously clouding his judgment now. And, of course, Mai and Jack were probably some of the last people he cared about and he’d just watched them be hurt or humiliated. This fighting was only making Ai angrier and the angrier he got, the less likely he’d win but also the more likely he’d have to be killed to stop him.

Akaashi didn’t want to kill him. 

Ai took another swing at Akaashi and he didn’t step away, letting himself be hit.

“You’re getting slow,” Ai said. 

“No, I’m just not going to fight anymore,” Akaashi told him. 

Ai punched him again and Akaashi fell, Sugawara and Oikawa starting towards Akaashi only for him to put his hand up. He knew what he was doing and Sugawara’s necklace had given him an idea.

“Why?” Ai kicked him in the side. “Why won’t you fight back?”

“Because,” Akaashi said, looking straight at Ai as he slid off his dampening ring. “I don’t want to fight and neither do you.” 

A wave of calming peace made its way from Akaashi’s mind into Ai and he paused in his newest swing. 

“Let’s talk,” Akaashi said with a small smile. “Please.”

Ai was breathing deeply and he looked down at his fists, bloody and red, then back up at Akaashi. He looked around the room, seeing Mai’s constriction and the way Jack was shaking. He looked as Kuroo and Kenma on the ground, looking like they were barely holding on to consciousness. 

With a deep sigh, he let his fists drop and he sat on the ground across from Akaashi who was still sending calming thoughts his way. 

“Killing Shou-chan and Tobio won’t bring anyone back,” Akaashi said, reaching out to put a hand on Ai’s shoulder. He let Akaashi and so Akaashi sent him some happy thoughts. “I know you’re afraid, but the people who killed in the past did it out of fear.” Akaashi looked at Jack. “You can understand that, can’t you?”

Ai blinked, looking at his hands like he’d never seen them before. 

“What did you do to me?”

“I calmed you down. Your anger was clouding your judgment.”

Ai looked up at Akaashi. “I’ve… I’ve been so angry and I never noticed.”

“You rarely do.” Akaashi shook his head. “I don’t know as much about anger, but I know fear. I know impatience. I understand how you’re all feeling but death won’t fix the past. It will just make the future worse.”

“I– I–” Ai didn’t seem to know what to say so Akaashi reached out to touch his necklace lightly, which he’d replaced around his neck once the charm ran out.

It was a simple, gold necklace with a small emerald pendant that had amazing resonance. It had no charm attached to it anymore. 

“∅⧨≫☲” 

The sounds—the words—spilling from Akaashi’s lips weren’t ones that would sound like a language to most Modes. It would sound like gibberish to anyone unaware of the long lineage of magic in their country. But, to everyone in the room—including the sensitives modes—it was a charm they partially recognized. It was similar to the charm that would have been used on Sugawara’s necklace, except instead of fear it was calmness that radiated from it. 

Standing, Akaashi went to the other two intruders and gave them a new calming charm, taking Suga’s necklace off Jack once Oikawa had him restrained too. 

“Those should help you think more clearly,” Akaashi said to all three of them, his voice soft but certain. “All I’m asking is that you don’t punish our children for sins of their forebearers.”

Ai looked at Mai and Jack, all three of them seeming to share a silent conversation. 

“Maybe you’re right,” he said quietly. “Maybe we were blinded by our emotions.”

“Emotions are powerful,” Akaashi told them. “But there’s a line between feeling them and letting them control you. We need emotions but we also need to be ourselves.” 

Akaashi walked over and picked up the ring he’d taken off, smiling at it as he closed his hand around it. It was technically the ring meant to call his parents with, but he’d often used it as a dampening charm since he was eighteen and his parents gave him the ring. Now, though, he didn’t need it anymore. He would never need it again. 

“Love is important but you can’t let it twist your emotions into a weapon.” Akaashi dropped the ring, wishing he could crush it under his foot. “Love. That’s the important thing. I love my husband. I love my friends in this room and in the other room and in other places. I love Tobio. I love Shouyou.” 

“I understand what you’re saying, but can you understand why we don't feel the same way?” Mai asked from across the room.

“I do understand,” Akaashi turned to look at her, his voice getting harder but never losing its calming resonance. “I've already made a promise to my sect that I wouldn't let Shou-chan's abilities get out of hand. I promised that with my life and my husbands. I promised it with Shou-chan’s life.”

“How can we trust that?” Jack asked.

“I know you're all afraid, but we should talk about this. Maybe not today since my friends really need to see a doctor.”

“Sorry,” Jack responded, looking down.

“I want us to talk, to figure out something that will let you all feel safe,” Akaashi told them. “Is that okay with you all?”

“How are you not angry right now?” Ai asked, his voice a breath of air. “Why don’t you hate me?”

Akaashi smiled, wide and looking so much like Bokuto in the way his entire face smiled.

“Because...” 

Akaashi hoped this was the right thing to do but, really, he thought it was what Bokuto would do and so… well, it seemed right.

“Because everybody deserves a chance at kindness.” He reached out a hand to Ai. “No matter what.”

\---

The room was full of friends and family. Hikaru and Chinatsu were seated near Nana—it was the first time they’d seen each other since the wedding and they hadn’t talked much then but Akaashi was unsurprised that Chinatsu and Nana had really hit it off tonight. Nana had jokingly accused Chinatsu of trying to steal her brother and Chinatsu accused Nana or trying to steal her cousin then they’d both broken down into laughter. Nana had brought her son—he was nearly two—Kei and he seemed pretty quiet, mostly watching the room as if he was waiting for something bad to happen. Sugawara informed Akaashi that the baby wasn’t sensitive to magic like his mother and uncle and given his blonde hair and generally, non-Bokuto look, Akaashi wasn’t surprised by that.

Kaori was sitting between Oikawa and Sugawara, looking like it was exactly where she belonged even though most people would feel a bit uncomfortable. Akaashi had invited her girlfriend and parents, but they’d all been too busy. Still, she seemed happy enough talking to Oikawa—they were sort of text-friends already—and Sugawara. She was also having a good time making faces at Tobio and Shouyou. 

Almost all of Bokuto’s friends from high school were there—Konoha and Sarukui had spent a lot of the time with Shouyou, making faces at the baby to make him laugh—as well as the usual group of his and Bokuto’s friends from the city. 

Sugawara and Sawamura were trying to get Tobio to smile for a picture. Oikawa was watching Akaashi—he’d stood while everyone else was taking their seats—but he could see Iwaizumi watching the Sawamura-Sugawara family, looking almost jealousy at Tobio. Unknown to Iwaizumi, Oikawa had confessed to Sugawara and Akaashi that he wanted a kid—or two—but was afraid that Iwaizumi wouldn't want any. Or that he’d think they were too old. Or too young. It was the most serious Akaashi had seen Oikawa since their fight for Tobio and Shouyou—he’d even called Iwaizumi ‘Hajime’ instead of Iwa-chan, which he only did when he was being serious. He was glad that he’d be able to tell Oikawa to stop worrying so much since Iwaizumi obviously wanted a kid to some degree. 

Kuroo and Kenma were sitting close to each other but not touching. Akaashi had gotten used to their less than average relationship years ago so he could tell they were enjoying each other’s company. Kuroo’s arm was still bandaged, but his injuries were mostly healed. Kenma’s arm was in a sling and Akaashi was sure there was still a lot of bandages around his middle. He could never thank them enough for what they did to protect two kids that weren’t even theirs but he also knew they didn’t want to hear it. 

The people Akaashi had met from the Crow Sect had come with their respective S.O.’s and earlier, Konoha had tried to hit on Kiyoko only to have Nishinoya—Asahi’s small, energetic boyfriend—introduce him to Yachi, allowing Kiyoko to introduce Konoha to her girlfriend.  
Bokuto had laughed for almost five minutes at the shade of red Konoha’s face turned. 

This was the biggest non-wedding party Akaashi had ever been to, let alone hosted, and he was realizing that he was so, so happy. 

Akaashi cleared his throat and stood, the room falling quiet. It was warm and bright and so full of happiness that Akaashi was momentarily breathless. But that feeling passed and he began his speech. 

“Thank you all for coming to this New Year’s party. A lot has changed in the last year and I’m glad we decided to do this.”

Akaashi thought about how they’d almost been killed. How they’d fought so hard not that long ago and had barely come out with a win. They were still in talks with the three who attacked them about making a plan they could trust to be sure the babies never got out of control, but things were looking up. At this rate, Akaashi was pretty sure instead of three enemies, Shouyou and Tobio were about to gain three bodyguards. 

“I’ll be brief since I’m sure you all want to eat, but there are a few things I want to say to all of you.”

Akaashi took a long breath, looking around the room while realizing his life had changed a lot since he was nineteen. 

“Everyone in this room means something to Kou and me. Family. Friends. People who I’ve only met recently and people I’ve known my whole life.”

 _Magics and Modes,_ he added to himself, _those with sects and those without them._

“Even half a decade ago, I never would have imagined an event like this. I couldn’t have imagined this happiness.” He looked at Bokuto and Shouyou, smiling softly. “ I never would have thought I’d have such a strange, perfect family.

My parents have never made me feel like I was part of their family but that’s okay because I have a family right here.”

 _And,_ he thought, _I have a sect right here._

“So, thank you for everything you’ve done for me and Kou.” Akaashi raised his glass. “I wish you all a happy new year. Cheers!” 

Everyone raised their glasses and shouted out a ‘cheers’ in agreement before taking a drink, the room exploding back into sound as they all started to eat, food passing from person to person while Akaashi sat down and his hand found Bokuto’s.

“Nice speech,” Bokuto said, smiling. “Are me and Shou-chan your strange family or were you talking about everyone here?”

“Both,” Akaashi said with a nod, leaning over to give Bokuto a quick kiss. “I love you, Bokuto Koutarou.” 

“I love you too, Akaashi Keiji.” Bokuto’s smile shined like the sun and Akaashi doubted he’d ever get enough of its sunshine. 

Akaashi knew that love was hard. It had been hard to understand how to deal with his love for Bokuto. He’d fought with himself for so long but, in the end, it had truly been so easy to fall in love with Bokuto. There was something about his smile. There was something about the way he laughed. The noise of him filled up Akaashi’s ears and it had filled his world and back when they met it had made life worth living. 

Bokuto gave all of himself to everything and everyone and Akaashi loved it. And while he couldn’t do that, Akaashi thought that maybe he could try because, in the end, it was about time Akaashi let himself love whatever he wanted. 

He loved his uncle and cousin. He loved his sister-in-law. He loved Kaori and her family and her girlfriend. He loved Sugawara and Oikawa. He loved Kuroo and Kenma. He loved Iwaizumi and Daichi. He loved Bokuto’s high school volleyball team. He also loved Bokuto’s current volleyball team. He loved Sugawara’s friends and family even though they’d only just met. He loved Bokuto. He loved Shouyou. 

He knew all that and it was easy but the one sentence that floated into his mind and surprised him was a simple one:

He loved himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAH THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR STICKING AROUND FOR 19 CRAZY CHAPTERS OF THIS!
> 
> Seriously, like this was such an impulsive thing to write and I don't even know how I finished it half the time but I'm glad I did it. I'll probably post two or three other fics in this series. This fic was originally going to be much longer but I cut it where I did because I decided it was going to focus on Akaashi (and Bokuto). The next fic would be a short-ish (one chapter) fic about Akaashi and Bokuto's childhoods. It's about both of them, but I'm mostly writing it because Bokuto's childhood was mostly hinted at in this fic and I have a lot of stuff in my head. 
> 
> The other fic will be kagehina cause like I'm trasssssh. It would be them growing up, but mostly focusing on them in late high school. 
> 
> That said, both of these will probably not be coming out anytime soon since one is not even half done and the other isn't even outlined so...
> 
> Also, I have an entirely different idea for a new Bokuaka fic but that's still in the works. All I'll say now is that Akaashi is an archer who can't speak. But that's all for now. And, like, who knows if I'll ever actually write it so......
> 
> Again, though, thank you so much for sticking around. I enjoyed writing this so I'm glad if even a few people enjoy what I've done. Every kudos and comment makes my day :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this silly thing I wrote!
> 
> For anyone interested, I posted some information I wrote up about how charms work in this universe. In-universe I'll go into this more in the next fic (it's a lot longer than planned which is why it's taking so long).
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out some Charms!](https://ko-fi.com/Blog/Post/Charm-Information---Charms-and-Charming-People-F1F2P4TG)


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